Wiktionary
vb. (context idiomatic English) To create conditions likely to produce or hasten favorable future developments.
Usage examples of "grease the wheels".
He wanted to groan because the squeaking meant that he needed to grease the wheels and axle again, and he hated getting into the grease.
If he could find those who weren't Mormons, he might be able to establish the degree of rapport necessary to grease the wheels of their investigation, one way or another, and get the hell out of there.
A little oil here, to grease the wheels, a little push there, to mitigate a decision.
I learned a long time ago that if youre not the most important chip in a computer, you grease the wheels and dont get in the way.
Because you made the mistake of sending me to kill that American family first, that oil executive who was trying to grease the wheels with the Ayatollah.
He had brought the girl over himself as a little oil to grease the wheels of commerce.
It would be a civil war that would not exactly grease the wheels of the plot.
It was to grease the wheels of the war machine that the money was needed.