on the face of it
idiom
: from only what is known at first
On the face of it, her proposal seems ridiculous—maybe it will sound better when we learn more about it.
Examples of on the face of it in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
So, on the face of it, the current alignment could just be seen as a coincidence.
—
Keith Cooper, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2025
At least on the face of it, there’s reason to wonder at the conclusions Kaegi’s office has drawn in the wake of what all agree has been a painful post-pandemic hit to commercial values, particularly office.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
Much of the report focuses on full-year comparisons between 2022 and 2023 and, on the face of it, investment is still flowing in, despite a difficult economic backdrop.
—Trevor Clawson, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024
The Chelsea players’ shirts are hanging up with the names and numbers showing but those jerseys are not allowed to be in shot even if turned around to hide that information, which makes little sense on the face of it.
—Stuart James, The Athletic, 21 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for on the face of it
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Keith Cooper, Space.com, 22 Apr. 2025
At least on the face of it, there’s reason to wonder at the conclusions Kaegi’s office has drawn in the wake of what all agree has been a painful post-pandemic hit to commercial values, particularly office.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
Much of the report focuses on full-year comparisons between 2022 and 2023 and, on the face of it, investment is still flowing in, despite a difficult economic backdrop.
—Trevor Clawson, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024
The Chelsea players’ shirts are hanging up with the names and numbers showing but those jerseys are not allowed to be in shot even if turned around to hide that information, which makes little sense on the face of it.
—Stuart James, The Athletic, 21 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for on the face of it
Cite this Entry
“On the face of it.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20face%20of%20it. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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