smoothing over
Downplaying the conflict
Smoothing over is the act of minimizing or glossing over problems, conflicts, or awkward situations to make them seem less serious than they are.
The phrase suggests surface-level resolution rather than addressing underlying issues: He tried smoothing over the disagreement with a joke.
Unlike genuine reconciliation, smoothing over often leaves tensions unresolved beneath a veneer of normalcy.
- glossingAdding shine or smoothing
- patchingRepairing by covering
- coveringLayer that shields or hides
- mendingRestoring damaged items
- reconcilingResolving a dispute
sweeping under the rug · placating · appeasing · soothing · calming · pouring oil on troubled waters · papering · whitewashing · sugarcoating · downplaying · brushing · deflecting · diplomacy · tact · excusing · saving face · minimizing · healing
- downplayingminimizing, downplay, trivializing, belittling, soft-pedal
- people-pleasingappeasing, placating, accommodating, pandering, going along
- de-escalationde-escalation, calming, defusing, pacification, placation
- conflict responsesavoidance, confrontation, compromise, accommodation, aggression
- peacemakingnegotiation, mediation, peace agreement, mediate, pacifying
- reconcilingforgiving, apologizing, mending, peacemaking, mediating
smoothing overconfronting
Addressing directly
calling out · hashing out · having it out · resolving · airing out
smoothing overcalling out
Publicly confronting behavior
exposing · laying bare · bringing to light · highlighting · pointing out
smoothing overstirring up
Causing to activate
inflaming · aggravating · escalating · exacerbating · fanning the flames
smooth, smoothing, over, smoothed, smoother, smoothest, smoothly, smoothness, smoothen