Synonyms of on the surface

on the surface

phrase

as in seemingly

to all outward appearances

On the surface they seem to have a fairytale marriage, but those close to them know it isn't so simple.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• seemingly
• ostensibly
• supposedly
• apparently
• presumably
• evidently
• maybe
• visibly
• likely
• perhaps
• probably
• putatively
• obviously
• ostensively
• possibly
• outwardly
• externally
• clearly
• allegedly
• distinctly
• surely
• reportedly
• perchance
• credibly
• conceivably
• purportedly
• plainly
• positively
• manifestly
• reputedly
• supposably
• professedly
• presumedly
• believably
• assuredly
• mayhap
• self-evidently
• assumably

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• incredibly
• impossibly
• improbably
• implausibly

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of on the surface

Now the rot is right there on the surface; the people smiling are less likely to be clueless optimists than the people who are happy about the rot, or profiting from it. — Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026

Alpha-gal evolution Alpha-gal occurs naturally on the surface of cells and in the tissues of nearly all non-primate mammals. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2026

Pressure on the surface, or movement near the sensor, shifts the magnet relative to the coil. — New Atlas, 4 Aug. 2026

Firefly's Blue Ghost-1 ultimately made a successful landing on the moon, while Japan's ispace Hakuto-R crash-landed on the surface. — Miles Doran, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026