Leveled the playing field, say?

MOWED

Think of a common yard task that involves cutting things down to an even height, often done with a machine. The result is a smooth, uniform surface.

This clue plays on the double meaning of "leveled." In sports, "leveling the playing field" means making things fair, but here it hints at literally making a field flat—like cutting grass. "Mowed" fits because it describes flattening a field with a lawnmower, while the "say" suggests this is one possible interpretation. The wordplay relies on the contrast between figurative and literal meanings.