smooth over
phrasal verb
smoothed over; smoothing over; smooths over also smoothes over
: to make (a disagreement, problem, difficulty, etc.) seem less serious than it really is
Don't worry about missing the application deadline—we'll smooth that over with the office.
She smoothed over the objections to his candidacy.
Examples of smooth over in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Numerous businesses say that, three months out, such disputes should have been long smoothed over.
—
Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Google’s accommodations team is currently seeking employees to join a new working group to smooth over policies and procedures related to disabilities.
—Paresh Dave, WIRED, 7 Mar. 2024
The Trinity includes microcurrents and a ball design to smooth over and target large areas of the face.
—Isabella Ubaldi, Health, 20 Mar. 2024
It can also be smoothed over areas with stretch marks to minimize their appearance.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 24 Feb. 2024
Its smoothing fabric is made from a polyester, spandex, and nylon blend, which offers sturdy support while smoothing over lines on your back.
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 26 Feb. 2024
What separates these drops from the crowd is the inclusion of niacinamide and dual molecular weight hyaluronic acid, which pull their weight to even the skin tone, smooth over fine lines, and give the skin a more youthful glow.
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 30 Jan. 2024
Wall Street leaders, however, appear to be tempering their criticisms now with Trump emerging again as a credible contender for the White House, in what strategists widely interpret as an attempt to smooth over the previous tensions between the business community and the former president.
—Jeff Stein, Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2024
Second, the malleability of Putin’s ideology helps the regime accommodate change, smooth over discrepancies, and appeal to different constituencies without undermining its core message.
—Maria Snegovaya, Foreign Affairs, 16 Nov. 2023
Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Google’s accommodations team is currently seeking employees to join a new working group to smooth over policies and procedures related to disabilities.
—Paresh Dave, WIRED, 7 Mar. 2024
The Trinity includes microcurrents and a ball design to smooth over and target large areas of the face.
—Isabella Ubaldi, Health, 20 Mar. 2024
It can also be smoothed over areas with stretch marks to minimize their appearance.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 24 Feb. 2024
Its smoothing fabric is made from a polyester, spandex, and nylon blend, which offers sturdy support while smoothing over lines on your back.
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 26 Feb. 2024
What separates these drops from the crowd is the inclusion of niacinamide and dual molecular weight hyaluronic acid, which pull their weight to even the skin tone, smooth over fine lines, and give the skin a more youthful glow.
—Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 30 Jan. 2024
Wall Street leaders, however, appear to be tempering their criticisms now with Trump emerging again as a credible contender for the White House, in what strategists widely interpret as an attempt to smooth over the previous tensions between the business community and the former president.
—Jeff Stein, Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2024
Second, the malleability of Putin’s ideology helps the regime accommodate change, smooth over discrepancies, and appeal to different constituencies without undermining its core message.
—Maria Snegovaya, Foreign Affairs, 16 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'smooth over.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near smooth over
Cite this Entry
“Smooth over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smooth%20over. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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