The word 摆平 is formed through a vivid conceptual metaphor rooted in physical action. It combines 摆 (bǎi), meaning "to arrange" or "to place", often with a sense of handling or manipulating something, with 平 (píng), meaning "level", "flat", or "even". The term originates from the concrete image of physically adjusting an object until it sits perfectly flat and stable on a surface, eliminating wobbles or irregularities. This concrete action is then metaphorically projected onto abstract social or conflict situations, where to "摆平" something means to manipulate circumstances or people until a messy, uneven situation is smoothed out, settled, and brought to a state of stable resolution.