(come up) smelling like a rose

to end something positively or as a winner.

Everyone thought he was guilty, but Smith still came up smelling like a rose.

Hahn made a terrible play in the first half, but he was smelling like a rose by the finish.

• cut above someone
• cut above something
• cut across
• cut across something
• cut a deal
• cut a figure
• cut a fine figure
• cut a long story short
• cut-and-dried
• cut and run
• cut and thrust of
• cut and thrust of something
• cut an ... figure
• cut an figure
• cut an interesting figure
• cut an [interesting/ridiculous/unusual etc.] figure
• cut an ridiculous figure
• cut an unusual figure
• cut a rug
• cut a swath
• cut a swathe through
• cut a swathe through something
• cut a swath through
• cut a swath through something
• cut a wide swath