smooth the way (?.)
- aid
- anoint
- be promising
- beeswax
- bid fair to
- clear the way
- daub
- dress
- ease
- embrocate
- enable
- expedite
- explain
- facilitate
- glycerolate
- grease
- grease the ways
- grease the wheels
- hasten
- have favorable odds
- help along
- increase the chances
- lard
- loose
- lubricate
- make clear
- make fair promise
- make more likely
- make possible
- make probable
- make way for
- offer the expectation
- oil
- open the way
- open up
- pave the way
- permit
- pomade
- prepare the way
- probabilize
- promise
- quicken
- remove friction
- run interference for
- salve
- seem likely
- show a tendency
- simplify
- slick
- slick on
- smear
- smooth
- soap the ways
- speed
- stand fair to
- unbar
- unblock
- unclog
- unguent
- unjam
- wax