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Glite Dictionary
to even out

to even out

18 3.4
To make a surface, amount, or relationship level by removing differences
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈiːvən aʊt/
translation icon : nivelar
  • I got sunspots and things and I find that it just evens out my skin tone.

Yeah, you kind of expect it to even out, right.

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Examples

  • All it will do is even out the skin around that area.

  • So we wanted to try and sort of even things out a little bit.

  • I just do it to basically even out the skin on my eyes.

    STEPHANIE TOMS

  • And it helps again to like even out skin.

  • Yeah, you kind of expect it to even out, right.

    MIT OpenCourseWare

  • We have to balance our weight to even this thing out.

    National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

  • And it's interesting because it does seem to even out the complexion pretty well.

  • It's like an instant glow and it seems to even out your skin tone as well.

    Freddy My Love

  • It really does help to even out my uneven areas.

  • This cream can help even out your skin tone for a more uniform appearance.

Synonyms

to level
vsto even out
81 3.7

To make land or a building flat with the ground

is used for making things the same across surfaces or amounts
to balance out
vsto even out
25 3.5

Make things equal and make up for a lack so nothing is too much or too little

focuses on removing unevenness rather than compensating by change
to flatten
vsto even out
23 2.6

Make something flat and smooth by pressing it

emphasizes removing bumps rather than adjusting amounts
to even
vsto even out
22 2.5

To make something level or smooth

is used for making things regular physically or in amounts
to equalize
vsto even out
  • US
10 4.4

To make things the same in amount, status or value

is similar but also applies to physical surface regularity
to smooth out
vsto even out
6 3.4

Make a process or problem easier by removing difficulties

is similar but also applies often to physical surface work
to flatten out
vsto even out
5 3.4

To become flat and smooth after being uneven

is similar but also covers abstract equalizing tasks
to flush
vsto even out
3 6.1

To make one surface level with another

is broader, applying to many types of regularizing and equalizing
to even up
vsto even out
2 4.1

To make two things equal or fair by adjusting what is different

is broader, also used for removing surface irregularities
to smooth down
vsto even out
1 3.8

To make something less rough by pressing it flat or by calming people

leans more toward physical regularity and equal amounts than calming
to levelize
vsto even out
  • US
1 7.9

To make something even in different places or at different times

focuses on removing differences both in amounts and over time
to smooth out the rough edges
vsto even out
  • Informal
1 4.4

To make something better by fixing small problems

focuses on broad equalizing rather than fixing minor faults
to smoothen
vsto even out
4.3

To make a surface flat and even by rubbing or polishing

is broader, also used for making amounts or relations regular

How Level

to even out
18 3.4
to equalize
  • US
10 4.4

Surface Forms

even out infinitive
evened out past
evened out past participle
evening out present participle
evens out third person singular

Morphology

even + out

The core verb 'even' already means to make level or equal, and the particle 'out' adds a sense of spreading/completing across a surface or range; together they form a predictable compositional meaning 'make something level or equal'. This pattern applies to both physical and abstract senses and is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The phrasal verb even out comes from the simple image of smoothing a surface: you make something even and push bumps out so it lies flat. So, it means 'to make things smooth, level, or equal', whether you talk about surfaces, amounts, or relationships.