- iron out
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transitive verb
Date: 1858
1. to make smooth or flat by or as if by pressing
2. to resolve or work out a solution to <ironed out their differences>
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
iron out
Look at other dictionaries:
iron out — (something) to solve all problems that are still left. The two sides need to keep talking until they iron out their differences. Etymology: based on the literal meaning of iron out small folds in cloth (= to use a small, heated device to make… … New idioms dictionary
iron out — is a common phrasal verb, American in origin and used informally to mean ‘to remove (difficulties etc.)’. As the physical image is still fairly near the surface, it is prudent to avoid contexts that might sound incongruous. Gowers (1965) pointed… … Modern English usage
iron out — [v] reconcile a situation agree, arbitrate, clear up*, compromise, eliminate, eradicate, erase, expedite, get rid of*, harmonize, negotiate, put right*, reach agreement, resolve, settle, settle differences, simplify, smooth over*, sort out*,… … New thesaurus
iron out — verb 1. settle or put right (Freq. 1) we need to iron out our disagreements • Syn: ↑straighten out, ↑put right • Hypernyms: ↑better, ↑improve, ↑amend, ↑ … Useful english dictionary
iron out — phrasal verb [transitive] Word forms iron out : present tense I/you/we/they iron out he/she/it irons out present participle ironing out past tense ironed out past participle ironed out to deal successfully with a disagreement or problem,… … English dictionary
iron out — PHRASAL VERB If you iron out difficulties, you resolve them and bring them to an end. [V P n (not pron)] It was in the beginning, when we were still ironing out problems, a company spokesman said... [V P n (not pron)] The various groups had now… … English dictionary
iron out — verb a) To remove (a crease or creases) with an iron. That shirt still has a few more wrinkles to iron out. b) To resolve (a dispute); to solve (a problem). Lets just sit down and iron out an agreement on … Wiktionary
iron out — it s time we iron out our differences Syn: resolve, straighten out, sort out, smooth out, clear up, settle, put right, solve, remedy, rectify, fix, mend, eliminate, eradicate, erase, get rid of; harmonize, reconcile … Thesaurus of popular words
iron out — phr verb Iron out is used with these nouns as the object: ↑crease, ↑detail, ↑problem, ↑wrinkle … Collocations dictionary
iron out differences — Iron I ron, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Ironed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Ironing}.] [1913 Webster] 1. To smooth with an instrument of iron; especially, to smooth, as cloth, with a heated flatiron; sometimes used with out. [1913 Webster] 2. To shackle with… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
iron out something — iron out (something) to solve all problems that are still left. The two sides need to keep talking until they iron out their differences. Etymology: based on the literal meaning of iron out small folds in cloth (= to use a small, heated device to … New idioms dictionary
