plain sailing

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But as Cohen points out, it is not all plain sailing.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

Trading oil at present is no plain sailing because transiting a tanker through the Strait of Hormuz is no plain sailing, either.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

But it has not all been plain sailing for Hodgkinson since she won the Olympic 800m title at Paris 2024.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

There have been reports that not everything has been plain sailing.

From BBC • Nov. 12, 2025

There we will leave him, and see what had befallen Sid; for his adventures were more exciting than Hugh's, though all seemed plain sailing when he started.

From Spinning-Wheel Stories by Alcott, Louisa May