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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

iron out en · VERB

Pronunciation

Meanings

  1. (transitive) To remove (a crease or creases) with an iron.
    • That shirt still has a few more wrinkles to iron out.
  2. (transitive) To make (something) flat or smooth as if with an iron.
    • Dilatation of this type “irons out the folds” of the urethra, giving better drainage of the paraurethral glands, stimulating circulation and promoting rapid healing, especially when small doses (7½ gr. q.i.d.) of one of the triple-sulfonamides are given as an adjunct. 1951 January, Gordon W. Reynolds, “The Female Urethra and Chronic Urethritis”, in Northwest Medicine, volume 50, number 1, Portland, Ore.: Northwest Medical Publishing Association, page 34:
  3. (figuratively, transitive) To resolve (a dispute); to solve (a problem).
    • The latest in a series of software updates was introduced in late 2021, as Alstom and Crossrail work to iron out any final bugs from the train systems before they start operating through the core tunnels under central London. 2022 January 12, “Network News: Crossrail takes delivery of final Class 345”, in RAIL, number 948, page 16:
    • We need to iron out the wrinkles in the plan before implementing it.
    • Let's just sit down and iron out an agreement on this issue.
    • Since this involves 11 of the main pre-grouping companies, it will doubtless take a good deal of time and patience to iron out all the anomalies, but at least it will simplify many procedures and help to weld the Line into a single efficient unit. 1964 November, P. F. Winding, “Re-shaping the LMR's North Western Line - 2”, in Modern Railways, page 346:
  4. (slang, transitive) To thrash or beat up; to overwhelm in a fight.
    • It was a WhatsApp message saying, 'do you want to fight Christmas time/December? Exhibition, who ever you want'. […] Of course I would [fight a YouTuber] - especially Jake Paul! I'd iron him out. He wouldn't fight me though, would he? 2023 July 25, Jack Evanoff, quoting Carl Froch, “"Iron him out" - Former champion reveals talks about potential fight with Jake Paul”, in Sportskeeda:
  5. (slang, transitive) To kill.
    • ‘I’ll f***king run out of the crowd with a f***king pillowcase, put it over his nut and just suffocate him.[’] […] He explained: ‘I think that’s the move because no-one’s going to iron him out and he needs to go don’t he, this geezer?[’] 2023 June 27, Lucy Norris, “Danny Dyer vows to ‘kill Putin’ and explains how we would do it in explosive rant”, in Metro:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
ironing out Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
ironed out Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
ironed out Tense=Past lexicographic
irons out Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic

Synonyms

puzzle out · merc · waste · wax · grease · take down · off · eliminate · take out · scupper · baptize · send to the next life · smash · Any from Thesaurus:untangle · do in · take · rub out · reason out · compromised to a permanent end · ruin · bag · pop off · send to the grave · crush · deactivate · destroy · unriddle · eradicate · lay waste to · make away with · ravage · dash · meliorate · put an end to · exterminate · resolve · stop someone's clock · dead · snuff · put someone out of their misery · stiff · think out · work out · blight · scotch · work out · slime out · unravel · dispatch · put six feet under · bump off · absolve · slay · tease out · bereave of life · knock off · resolve · annihilate · ravel · take care of · croak · bring down · top · ex · finish off · decipher · put to sleep · dust · unpuzzle · send to eternity · sleuth · puzzle out · send to the great beyond · slaughter · pay off · terminate · mortify · whack · upsolve · finish · obliterate · wreck · polish off · wipe out · demolish · punch someone's ticket · scuttle · terminate with extreme prejudice · squash · iron out · shut up · end · bury · smite · unsolve · send to hell · riddle · put down · flatten · solve · dispose of · get to the bottom of · pick off · cack · do · top off · wet · neutralize · torpedo

Translations (13)

fr aplanir (to remove with an iron) · fi silittää (to remove with an iron) · cs vyžehlit (to remove with an iron) · ru сгла́дить (to remove with an iron) · hu kivasal (to remove with an iron) · de ausbügeln (to remove with an iron) · pl rozprasowywać (to remove with an iron) · ru разгла́живать (to remove with an iron) · es planchar (to remove with an iron) · ru сгла́живать (to remove with an iron) · sk vyžehliť (to remove with an iron) · pl rozprasować (to remove with an iron) · ru разгла́дить (to remove with an iron)