the obvious

noun

: something that is easy to understand or recognize
You are stating the obvious. Tell me something I don't already know.
Try to look beyond the obvious.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Return to menu My experience with Capital City Mambo Sauce was a classic case of overthinking the obvious. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2023 Jack White often prefers the inscrutable, twisty gesture over the obvious, spell-it-out one. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 16 Mar. 2023 Jeep Wrangler 4xe Complicates a Relic Range, Charging, and Battery Life If the idea of tackling trails under electric-only power is appealing to you, then the 4xe powertrain is the obvious choice. Drew Dorian, Car and Driver, 6 Apr. 2023 The background stories, which are doled out through flashbacks, offer space to make the characters feel more lived-in, but they are mostly used to provide the obvious motivations for joining the group. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Apr. 2023 Gradually, the demons that so appallingly haunt him are made manifest by the portrayal of a succession of fiercely abusive men from his past, played with horribly convincing smoothness by Elliot Cowan who fully resists the obvious path of alerting the audience to his own hidden motives. David Benedict, Variety, 5 Apr. 2023 However, underscoring the conversations is the obvious contrast between the progressive left of the Democratic Party, represented by Johnson, and the moderate wing of the party, represented by Vallas. Mark Guarino, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2023 Clearly, though, his loss of joy is symptomatic of what is happening with the Mavericks, the obvious and perhaps the unseen. Brad Townsend, Dallas News, 24 Mar. 2023 Lindsey Buckingham was the obvious choice. Evan Romano, Men's Health, 3 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the obvious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near the obvious

Cite this Entry

“The obvious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20obvious. Accessed 5 Jun. 2023.

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