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
Newcastle’s Under-18s are third in their league which, on the face of it, looks decent, but winning is not everything.
—
George Caulkin, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Ridiculous on the face of it, preposterous even — yet somehow also kind of plausible.
—Nikki Sternberg, HollywoodReporter, 20 Sep. 2025
There are still 18 games left, and on the face of it, the Royals have a particularly challenging schedule, with 12 of the 18 against teams above .500.
—Sam McDowell 9, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
Both of them are, on the face of it, challenging films to make.
—Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2025
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George Caulkin, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Ridiculous on the face of it, preposterous even — yet somehow also kind of plausible.
—Nikki Sternberg, HollywoodReporter, 20 Sep. 2025
There are still 18 games left, and on the face of it, the Royals have a particularly challenging schedule, with 12 of the 18 against teams above .500.
—Sam McDowell 9, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
Both of them are, on the face of it, challenging films to make.
—Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2025
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 30 Oct. 2025.
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