to/by all (outward) appearances
idiom
: it seems : according to what other people see
He was, to/by all (outward) appearances, a happily married man.
Examples of to/by all (outward) appearances in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That said, Marks shines as a receiver and, by all appearances, he was drafted for that purpose.
—
Jeff Haverlack, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
The response before Thursday had been gradual and, by all appearances, low key.
—Ashraf Khalil, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
But Paramount settled anyway, by all appearances to try to clear the way for the Trump administration’s approval of its Skydance Media merger deal.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 16 July 2025
The Hollywood Tesla Diner is loaded with fast V4 Superchargers, Cybertrucks and Model Ys – and by all appearances is almost ready to open.
—Brooke Crothers, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025
The prosecutors remained seated, subdued and by all appearances despondent.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 2 July 2025
This was, to all appearances, no casual aside; rather, the question that prompted Miller’s remark had all the earmarks of being planted in advance.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 12 May 2025
Meanwhile, Tim is, by all appearances, financially and reputationally ruined.
—Judy Berman, Time, 31 Mar. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jeff Haverlack, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
The response before Thursday had been gradual and, by all appearances, low key.
—Ashraf Khalil, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025
But Paramount settled anyway, by all appearances to try to clear the way for the Trump administration’s approval of its Skydance Media merger deal.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 16 July 2025
The Hollywood Tesla Diner is loaded with fast V4 Superchargers, Cybertrucks and Model Ys – and by all appearances is almost ready to open.
—Brooke Crothers, Forbes.com, 13 July 2025
The prosecutors remained seated, subdued and by all appearances despondent.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 2 July 2025
This was, to all appearances, no casual aside; rather, the question that prompted Miller’s remark had all the earmarks of being planted in advance.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 12 May 2025
Meanwhile, Tim is, by all appearances, financially and reputationally ruined.
—Judy Berman, Time, 31 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“To/by all (outward) appearances.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/to%2Fby%20all%20%28outward%29%20appearances. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share