smooth sailing
Easy going ahead
Smooth sailing describes easy progress without obstacles or difficulties.
The phrase comes from nautical experience—a ship moves smoothly when seas are calm and winds favorable.
Now used for any situation proceeding without trouble: Once we got the permits, it was smooth sailing.
Often appears after an initial difficulty has been overcome.
- effortlessRequiring no strain
- piece of cakeIdiomatic easy task
- cinchGuaranteed easy thing
- trouble-freeWithout difficulties arising
- breezeLight, gentle air movement
no sweat · clear skies · walk in the park · ease · easy street · calm · child's play · stress-free · duck soup · easy going · unobstructed · snap · uncomplicated · no-brainer · facility · easy-peasy · without a hitch · calm waters
- Nautical Idiomsbatten down the hatches, all hands on deck, three sheets to the wind, in the same boat, rock the boat
- nautical phrasesahoy, aye aye, yo ho ho, all hands, heave ho
- sea idiomsall at sea, dead in the water, sink or swim, miss the boat, rock the boat
- Easy taskscinch, snap, breeze, cakewalk, no-brainer
- Easy Thingseasy, simple, easy peasy, easy-peasy, easy as pie
- farewell phrasesgoodbye, farewell, bon voyage, godspeed, happy trails
smooth sailingrough going
Arduous progress through obstacles
rocky road · uphill battle · hard slog · tough sledding · heavy weather
smooth sailingturbulence
Chaotic flow patterns
chaos · turmoil · upheaval · stormy weather · rough patch
smooth sailingnightmare
Frightening dream causing wakefulness
ordeal · trial by fire · hell · baptism by fire · hard time
smooth, sailing, smoothly, smoothed, smoothness, smoothing, smooths, smoothest, smoother