1
as in accelerating
to free from obstruction or difficulty
a willingness to compromise will smooth the way to an early agreement
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shaving
to make free from breaks, curves, or bumps
the workers smoothed the surface of the concrete before letting it dry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in polishing
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure
used fine sandpaper to smooth the face of the wood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in facilitating
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smoothing
Jailynn Taylor, Allure, 1 Sep. 2025
From boosting hydration to smoothing texture, the benefits of snail mucin are well-documented among skincare enthusiasts.
—Karina Hoshikawa, Refinery29, 26 Aug. 2025
The pièce de résistance is the Coanda’s smoothing technology.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2025
Luckmeey Wireless Bra in Almond Skin The bra is made of stretchy fabric, which is smoothing at the sides and back.
—Melody Kazel, People.com, 24 Aug. 2025
With ProPILOT Assist and the Around View® Monitor smoothing the curves and tight turns, the experience distilled Infiniti’s vision of modern luxury, convenience, and technology in motion.
—Shelby Knick, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Transfer the fruit salad mixture to the prepared pan, smoothing the top.
—Stephanie Ganz, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2025
In the Curly + Coily package, Dyson swaps the straightener with a tension comb (for stretching and smoothing curls) and adds a diffuser (for defining natural curls).
—Francesca Krempa, StyleCaster, 11 Aug. 2025
While tons of brushes did the trick, our favorite was the Mane Ready or Knot Detangling Paddle Brush, which works on many hair types and stimulates scalp health while smoothing knots.
—Annie Blackman, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Here are the 10 that experts and editors agree on, including frizz-smoothing serums, bond-repairing blends, and moisture-locking formulas that actually work.
—Jailynn Taylor, Allure, 1 Sep. 2025
From boosting hydration to smoothing texture, the benefits of snail mucin are well-documented among skincare enthusiasts.
—Karina Hoshikawa, Refinery29, 26 Aug. 2025
The pièce de résistance is the Coanda’s smoothing technology.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2025
Luckmeey Wireless Bra in Almond Skin The bra is made of stretchy fabric, which is smoothing at the sides and back.
—Melody Kazel, People.com, 24 Aug. 2025
With ProPILOT Assist and the Around View® Monitor smoothing the curves and tight turns, the experience distilled Infiniti’s vision of modern luxury, convenience, and technology in motion.
—Shelby Knick, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Transfer the fruit salad mixture to the prepared pan, smoothing the top.
—Stephanie Ganz, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2025
In the Curly + Coily package, Dyson swaps the straightener with a tension comb (for stretching and smoothing curls) and adds a diffuser (for defining natural curls).
—Francesca Krempa, StyleCaster, 11 Aug. 2025
While tons of brushes did the trick, our favorite was the Mane Ready or Knot Detangling Paddle Brush, which works on many hair types and stimulates scalp health while smoothing knots.
—Annie Blackman, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smoothing
Verb
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The rules, according to an NFL spokesman, covered NIL and sponsorship deals, but also equity investments in collectives or other third parties facilitating payments to college stars.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
4 Sep. 2025
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The lawsuit lists as defendants the three manufacturers, as well as the Fire Apparatus Manufacturers' Association, a nonprofit trade association accused of facilitating the unfair market practices.—
Kelli Arseneau,
jsonline.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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At the same time, the Congressional Budget Office sees tariffs shaving trillions of dollars off the deficit.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
25 Aug. 2025
-
When a trompo taco is ordered, a cook brandishes a knife of ferocious sharpness, shaving a thin, broad piece large enough to overhang the corn tortilla it’s laid upon.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Silver Centerpieces For anyone who's ever gotten stuck polishing silver, there's good news.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
3 Sep. 2025
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When growth takes off, there's often a temptation to start polishing everything.—
Mike Vietri,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Verb
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What remains of the material that birthed this still-growing protostar swirls around it, flattening out and eventually forming a protoplanetary disk in which planets can be born.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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By midmorning in the Central Valley, the light turns hard and white, bleaching the sky and flattening every shadow.—
Dean Florez,
Mercury News,
19 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Work it into the fabric by massaging it with the pads of your fingers or by rubbing the fabric against itself.—
Jolie Kerr,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Sep. 2025
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These trees are always vulnerable to the male deer, known as bucks, rubbing their antlers on the trunks of the trees.—
Chris McKeown,
The Enquirer,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Management responded by trimming 2025 EPS guidance by more than 10% to $30.—
John Buckingham,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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Dolphins general manager Chris Grier spoke to the media on Wednesday, the day after trimming the team’s roster to 53 by the league’s deadline.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Besides the Cool Springs location, the brand is also planing to open stores at Opry Mills and West Town Mall in Knoxville this fall.—
Gabrielle Chenault,
The Tennessean,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Assembly is best as a two-person job, but pretty much consists of clipping the arms to the seats and plugging in the motors.—
Zoë Sessums,
Architectural Digest,
4 Sep. 2025
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In addition to the clipping tools, the 7-in-1 pet grooming appliance also comes with a dog paw trimmer, a nail grinder, a deshedding tool and brushes to keep your pup’s hair tangle-free.—
Jessie Quinn,
USA Today,
1 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smoothing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smoothing. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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