grease the wheels

== English == === Etymology === By 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. === Pronunciation === === Verb === grease the wheels (third-person singular simple present greases the wheels, present participle greasing the wheels, simple past and past participle greased the wheels) (idiomatic) To create conditions likely to produce or hasten favorable future developments. Synonyms: pave the way, set the stage === References === “grease the wheels”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.