despite appearances
idiom
: even though (something) does not appear to be so
Despite appearances, her company is very successful.
Examples of despite appearances in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This one, the first major narrative movie about Springsteen, plays it on its own terms and its own truths, just like The Boss himself did in creating the most unique album of his career in 1981 when, despite appearances, the walls were tumbling down.
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Pete Hammond, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
But the Los Feliz Albertsons’ Instagram, despite appearances, isn’t an official page.
—Nate Rogers, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
The good news, experts say, is that many Americans who live from one payday to the next are doing reasonably well, despite appearances.
—Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 5 Dec. 2024
And despite appearances, is quite competent, and as are all of his agents.
—Lauren Goode, WIRED, 19 Sep. 2024
For the foreseeable future, AI systems will remain unconscious despite appearances to the contrary.
—Lindsey Laughlin, Ars Technica, 18 May 2024
Raff assured me that, despite appearances, the owners were home.
—Jonathan Franzen, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2023
But despite appearances, there is no love lost between Belorussian President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
—Emily Ferris, Foreign Affairs, 4 Oct. 2017
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Pete Hammond, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
But the Los Feliz Albertsons’ Instagram, despite appearances, isn’t an official page.
—Nate Rogers, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
The good news, experts say, is that many Americans who live from one payday to the next are doing reasonably well, despite appearances.
—Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 5 Dec. 2024
And despite appearances, is quite competent, and as are all of his agents.
—Lauren Goode, WIRED, 19 Sep. 2024
For the foreseeable future, AI systems will remain unconscious despite appearances to the contrary.
—Lindsey Laughlin, Ars Technica, 18 May 2024
Raff assured me that, despite appearances, the owners were home.
—Jonathan Franzen, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2023
But despite appearances, there is no love lost between Belorussian President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
—Emily Ferris, Foreign Affairs, 4 Oct. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Despite appearances.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/despite%20appearances. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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