smooth over
Ease the tension
To smooth over is to minimize or gloss over a difficulty, disagreement, or awkward situation—to make things seem less serious than they are: He tried to smooth over the tension with a joke.
The phrase suggests diplomatic handling rather than genuine resolution: They smoothed over their differences for the sake of the children, but the resentment remained.
Discuss to reach agreement
- arbitrateSettle as impartial judge
- interveneCome between opposing sides
- intercedeIntervene on behalf
- facilitateMake something easier
broker · go-between · peacemaker · mediator · intermediary · defuse · buffer · liaison
Repair roughly or reconcile
- mendRestore after damage
- repairRestore to working order
- make amendsCompensate for wrongdoing
- healRestore to wellness
forgive · make up · restore · bridge · bury the hatchet · resolve · settle · fix
Diminish perceived importance
- brush asideReject without serious thought
- play downDiminish perceived significance
- soft-pedalDiminish stated significance
- understateExpress with restraint
whitewash · cover up · sugarcoat · dismiss · overlook · trivialize · make light of · excuse
negotiate
Discuss to reach agreement
facilitate · broker · go-between · peacemaker · mediator · intermediary · defuse · buffer · liaison · bring together
patch up
Repair roughly or reconcile
- mendRestore after damage
- repairRestore to working order
- make amendsCompensate for wrongdoing
heal · forgive · make up · restore · bridge · bury the hatchet · resolve · settle · fix · apologize
downplay
Diminish perceived importance
- brush asideReject without serious thought
- play downDiminish perceived significance
- soft-pedalDiminish stated significance
understate · whitewash · cover up · sugarcoat · dismiss · overlook · trivialize · make light of · excuse · rationalize
tactful
Socially sensitive and careful
careful · courteous · polite · gracious · subtle · considerate · gentle · diplomatic · charming · persuasive
- sugarcoatingsweeten, soften, whitewash, soft-pedal, prettify
- peacemakingnegotiation, mediation, peace agreement, mediate, pacifying
- reconciliationreconciliation, reconcile, reconciled, reconciling, making up
- fixesfix, repair, mend, correction, correct
- involvementparticipate, participation, join in, involvement, take part
- Social Diplomacywhite lie, tact, diplomacy, courtesy, politeness
smooth overconfront
Face squarely, address directly
hash out · thrash out · get to the bottom of · dig into · have it out
smooth overexpose
Make known publicly
bring to light · lay bare · reveal · air out · call out
smooth overinflame
Intensify emotion or irritation
aggravate · exacerbate · escalate · stir up · fan the flames
over, smooth, smoothly, smoothed, smoothness, smoothing, smooths, smoothest, smoother