at face value

idiom

1
: for the price that is printed on something
We bought the tickets at face value.
2
: as true or genuine without being questioned or doubted
After all his lying, nothing he says now should be taken/accepted at face value.

Examples of at face value in a Sentence

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But both Buchman and Moss caution against taking the ranking at face value. Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026 Advertisement The premise is enough of a murder-show Mad Lib to suggest, correctly, that a creator of this caliber won’t be taking it at face value. Judy Berman, Time, 13 Feb. 2026 The models, in other words, couldn’t be taken at face value. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026 For fans, that means tickets available at face value are scarce. Julian Torres, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for at face value

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Cite this Entry

“At face value.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20face%20value. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.

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