grease the wheels
grease the wheels · greases the wheels · greased the wheels · greasing the wheels
To create conditions likely to produce or hasten favorable future developmentsTo create conditions likely to produce or hasten favorable future developments.
Meaning
1 senses(idiomatic)To create conditions likely to produce or hasten favorable future developments.
Origin
By a metaphor in which facilitating human socioeconomic interaction, or any other processBy a metaphor in which facilitating human socioeconomic interaction, or any other process or system, is portrayed as lubricating machinery; in this regard, compare also lubrication payment and social lubricant.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
greases the wheels, greasing the wheels, greased the wheels, greased the wheels| Base form | grease the wheels · to grease the wheels |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | greases the wheels |
| Present participle | greasing the wheels |
| Past simple | greased the wheels |
| Past participle | greased the wheels |
irregular
Synonyms
2 synonymsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle