1
as in to smooth
to make free from breaks, curves, or bumps
smoothen the wood for the table thoroughly, or the legs will be uneven
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to polish
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure
smoothen the edges of the two parts before trying to join them together
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of smoothen
His continued growth will come from smoothening out the rough edges of his game, which can be equal parts exciting and erratic at times.
—
Kelly Iko, New York Times, 24 July 2025
Players aren’t there to develop in labs and hit the ground running once the edges have smoothened.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
But as the temperature drops, the kinetic energy of the incoming gas smoothens the filamentary structure, resulting in the fluffy cloud.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 20 Feb. 2025
Following that, the first patch smoothened out its rough edges.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
The Perfecting Lip Color harnesses the benefits of ginseng to smoothen, rejuvenate, and moisturize.
—Bianca Salonga, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Carlsberg’s deal followed PepsiCo’s agreement to waive the change-of-control clause over Britvic’s bottling operations, which helped smoothen the deal after its earlier rejection.
—Byprarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 8 July 2024
But one’s entire understanding of self-regulation is altered when every governing system of your life, and your children’s lives, is smoothened and tempered by vast stores of capital.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2024
Retinoids may smoothen fine lines, wrinkles, and even dark age spots.
—Hallie Gould, Health, 25 Nov. 2023
Kelly Iko, New York Times, 24 July 2025
Players aren’t there to develop in labs and hit the ground running once the edges have smoothened.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
But as the temperature drops, the kinetic energy of the incoming gas smoothens the filamentary structure, resulting in the fluffy cloud.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 20 Feb. 2025
Following that, the first patch smoothened out its rough edges.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
The Perfecting Lip Color harnesses the benefits of ginseng to smoothen, rejuvenate, and moisturize.
—Bianca Salonga, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Carlsberg’s deal followed PepsiCo’s agreement to waive the change-of-control clause over Britvic’s bottling operations, which helped smoothen the deal after its earlier rejection.
—Byprarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 8 July 2024
But one’s entire understanding of self-regulation is altered when every governing system of your life, and your children’s lives, is smoothened and tempered by vast stores of capital.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2024
Retinoids may smoothen fine lines, wrinkles, and even dark age spots.
—Hallie Gould, Health, 25 Nov. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smoothen
Verb
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The bottoms feature a wide, high-waistband for a smoothing appearance and are subtly flared at the hem, offering a leg-lengthening look.—
Melony Forcier,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Sep. 2025
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Infused with amino peptides to firm and smooth the skin, niacinamide to nourish the skin barrier, and hyaluronic acid for a plumping touch, Olay’s lifting cream offers moisture with an extra dose of rejuvenating benefits.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Given their stature, facilities and squad, this team is a rough diamond waiting to be polished.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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Plenty of brands already offer or are transitioning to TPO-free formulas that contain different photoinitiators (a chemical that makes gel polishes cure under a lamp instead of air-drying like regular polish) such as TPO-L, BAPO, or other resin initiators.—
Hannah Nwoko,
Parents,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Dip a paper towel or cloth in the jelly, then rub a thin layer all over the surface.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 Sep. 2025
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And while it was expected the two sides would part ways this offseason, first-year Jets head coach Aaron Glenn rubbed Rodgers the wrong way after an awkward meeting between the two to discuss their future together.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smoothen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smoothen. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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