on the face of it

phrase

: 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

Midway through the second half of the semi-final against Croatia, Messi found himself up against Josko Gvardiol, a man 15 years younger than him, six inches taller and, on the face of it, athletically as well as physically superior. — Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 10 July 2026

The Austrian is still wedded to his 3-4-2-1 formation and, on the face of it, has not changed much. — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026

The job of the sub is simple, on the face of it. — Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026

The World Bank’s global economic forecast for the year ahead was, on the face of it, full of good news for African countries. — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 14 Jan. 2026

Rhymes for on the face of it

• acquit
• admit
• armpit
• backlit
• befit
• cockpit
• commit
• dalit
• dendrite
• emit
• illite
• misfit