as in facilitating
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1
as in accelerating
to free from obstruction or difficulty
a willingness to compromise will smooth the way to an early agreement
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in flattening
to make free from breaks, curves, or bumps
the workers smoothed the surface of the concrete before letting it dry
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smoothing
ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026
Not to mention, they’re made with 360-degree tummy control, waist-definition, and a back-smoothing design.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026
Hyaluronic acid, peptides, and botanical extracts provide pore-minimizing, firming, and line-smoothing properties.
—Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 1 Apr. 2026
Scrape batter into prepared baking sheet and, using a medium offset spatula, gently spread to edges, smoothing surface.
—Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
Even better, many leave-in conditioners and hair milks not only boast hair-smoothing benefits, but also heat protection.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2026
Every hospital that has implemented smoothing elective admissions has reported dramatic improvements.
—Eugene Litvak, STAT, 27 Mar. 2026
The end result is a lotion that hydrates while also preventing breakouts and smoothing rough texture over time.
—Hana Hong, Glamour, 25 Mar. 2026
Plus, its skin-smoothing finish makes for great prep underneath your foundation.
—Lily Wohlner, Allure, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
Wire-free and closure-free construction for comfort with wide smoothing back and sides.
—ABC News, 11 Apr. 2026
Not to mention, they’re made with 360-degree tummy control, waist-definition, and a back-smoothing design.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026
Hyaluronic acid, peptides, and botanical extracts provide pore-minimizing, firming, and line-smoothing properties.
—Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 1 Apr. 2026
Scrape batter into prepared baking sheet and, using a medium offset spatula, gently spread to edges, smoothing surface.
—Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
Even better, many leave-in conditioners and hair milks not only boast hair-smoothing benefits, but also heat protection.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2026
Every hospital that has implemented smoothing elective admissions has reported dramatic improvements.
—Eugene Litvak, STAT, 27 Mar. 2026
The end result is a lotion that hydrates while also preventing breakouts and smoothing rough texture over time.
—Hana Hong, Glamour, 25 Mar. 2026
Plus, its skin-smoothing finish makes for great prep underneath your foundation.
—Lily Wohlner, Allure, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smoothing
Verb
-
Graham is the former chair of the council’s economic development committee who played a lead role in facilitating communication between the awards and local leaders.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The activity allegedly included promoting and facilitating prostitution.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This would essentially be doubling down on flattening the odds, which was already tested in 2019 and empirically did not reduce tanking.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
17 Apr. 2026
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Winners of previous Cap10Ks have often made their move on Veteran’s Drive, a downhill stretch that runs under MoPac before flattening out alongside Austin High School.—
Brom Hoban,
Austin American Statesman,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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After 10 to 20 passes, repeat the same process on the ceramic polishing rods, if the sharpener has them.—
Jesse Raub,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The program acts almost like a navigation map for individuals intent on entering the sector, from polishing resumes to grasping industry dynamics.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Very often, the home seller and listing agent will ask for a very short timeline, removing the financing contingency (the full loan approval), shaving 10 days from the process with a closing in 21 days.—
Jeff Lazerson,
Oc Register,
16 Apr. 2026
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Though recession fears have grown since the fighting began more than six weeks ago, most economists think the war will have only modest effects on gross domestic product — maybe shaving off a few tenths of a percentage point overall.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As the court moved to watch the KSTU-TV segment, Tyler Robinson appeared to begin fidgeting, with one of his hands moving and rubbing his fingers back and forth.—
Stepheny Price , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
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Sara Aparacio, a resident cleaning expert at Homeaglow, equates scrubbing an appliance with an abrasive sponge to rubbing it with very fine sandpaper.—
Maria Sabella,
The Spruce,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Start by trimming the tough, dry ends off the bunch and chop them into little logs.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Get a hedge-and-branch trimming bundle at a huge discount.—
Andrew P. Collins,
The Drive,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The wood jambs supporting your front and back entryways can quickly get coated with pollen during springtime, and mowing and raking the lawn kicks up dust and dirt that settles along the frame.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Matt McLain added muscle, is now raking On the one hand, McLain adding a dozen pounds of muscle in the offseason seems like an unambiguously positive development.—
Andy Behrens,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The under-$10 serum is formulated with 2 percent multimolecular hyaluronic acid and Matrixyl 3000 peptide, a combination of ingredients that quenches the skin while smoothening wrinkles and firming crepey areas.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smoothing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smoothing. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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