smooth something out

smooth something out†

1. Lit. to flatten or even something by smoothing or pressing. •

Wally smoothed the bedspread out.

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Wally finished making the bed by smoothing out the spread.

2. Fig. to polish and refine something. •

The editor smoothed John's style out.

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You need to smooth out your delivery when you are speaking.

3. and smooth something over† Fig. to reduce the intensity of an argument or a misunderstanding; to try to make people feel better about something disagreeable that has happened. (Fig. on Q.) •

Mary and John had a terrible argument, and they are both trying to smooth it over.

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Let's get everyone together and try to smooth things out. We can't keep on arguing with one another.

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We can smooth over the whole affair.