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
Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025
The bra is made of a silky fabric that’s lightweight and smoothing for a fit that hugs you and stays hidden under clothes.
—Melody Kazel, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
Retinal is a more potent version of vitamin A and is more effective with smoothing fine lines and hyperpigmentation.
—Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 24 Sep. 2025
With a skin-loving trifecta of hyaluronic acid, madecassoside (more commonly known as centella asiatica), and vitamin B5 (which binds to and holds water to moisturize the skin), the formula goes beyond basic moisturization, effectively smoothing, soothing, and repairing dry, tight skin.
—Danielle Cohen, Glamour, 18 Sep. 2025
The handle twists at a 90-degree angle to become a high-speed hair dryer, but locked into its upright position, the device converts into a self-winding curling iron, a frizz-smoothing paddle brush, and a volume-building oval brush.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Offset spatula This decorating tool is a skinny, rectangular spatula used to assist in smoothing icing, which will give your cake a polished finish.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 11 Sep. 2025
Gallant, sleeveless and heavily tattooed, began slowly smoothing a white sheet atop his model’s shoulders.
—Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Made from premium stretch denim, the jeans’ signature high-rise waistband slims the figure, smoothing and sculpting with every movement.
—Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
The ultra-wide, crossover waistband accentuates the waist while the stretchy, supportive fabric provides a smoothing effect on the midsection.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025
The bra is made of a silky fabric that’s lightweight and smoothing for a fit that hugs you and stays hidden under clothes.
—Melody Kazel, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2025
Retinal is a more potent version of vitamin A and is more effective with smoothing fine lines and hyperpigmentation.
—Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 24 Sep. 2025
With a skin-loving trifecta of hyaluronic acid, madecassoside (more commonly known as centella asiatica), and vitamin B5 (which binds to and holds water to moisturize the skin), the formula goes beyond basic moisturization, effectively smoothing, soothing, and repairing dry, tight skin.
—Danielle Cohen, Glamour, 18 Sep. 2025
The handle twists at a 90-degree angle to become a high-speed hair dryer, but locked into its upright position, the device converts into a self-winding curling iron, a frizz-smoothing paddle brush, and a volume-building oval brush.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Offset spatula This decorating tool is a skinny, rectangular spatula used to assist in smoothing icing, which will give your cake a polished finish.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 11 Sep. 2025
Gallant, sleeveless and heavily tattooed, began slowly smoothing a white sheet atop his model’s shoulders.
—Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Made from premium stretch denim, the jeans’ signature high-rise waistband slims the figure, smoothing and sculpting with every movement.
—Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smoothing
Verb
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Playing a facilitating role was Marc Rowan, CEO of the private equity giant Apollo Global Management, who assembled conservative scholars, academics and policymakers in 2024 to produce a document on overhauling higher education.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Greater trust would inspire more data-sharing, facilitating deeper customization, Berners-Lee explained.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Thankfully, a shelter volunteer, Nikki Miller, took up Chase’s cause, giving him a bath, trimming his nails and shaving his fur to get him back to looking his best again.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
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However, the thawing of Russia’s northern coastline has opened a lane for vessels, shaving almost three weeks off shipping times compared to the journey around the Cape of Good Hope.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The students spend the semester writing and polishing a novel excerpt, memoir excerpt, or chapbook length collection of poetry.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
22 Sep. 2025
-
After polishing, Stewart washes each piece with dish soap, rinses with lukewarm water, and dries immediately to prevent watermarks.—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The bowl diffuser features aluminum plates that heat up to expedite dry time, and the comb attachment helps detangle without flattening out ringlets.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Animals configure their faces and bodies in certain postures for practical reasons — for example, unsheathing their teeth before biting, widening their eyes for a panoramic view of danger, flattening their ears to protect them in a fight.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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More videos show Dangy rubbing Rune’s belly and feeding him with a bottle.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Like rubbing salt into the wound, an activist investor is seeking to block outgoing Target chief executive officer Brian Cornell’s transition to executive chairman next February.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Thankfully, a shelter volunteer, Nikki Miller, took up Chase’s cause, giving him a bath, trimming his nails and shaving his fur to get him back to looking his best again.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Its trimming rippled in the afternoon wind.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The Magellano’s Dual Mode Hull, a signature feature that has been on the vessels since the series started, is a semi-planing hull with a vertical bow.—
Tristan Rutherford,
Robb Report,
8 Sep. 2025
-
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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Like NexLawn's upcoming Vidar robo-mowers, the futuristic rover will navigate the garden using LiDAR and vision sensors while clipping the grass.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Its audio comes through clean and detail-rich, with noise cancelling and automatic limiting to handle background chaos without clipping your voice.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smoothing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smoothing. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.
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