at first blush

Idioms  

1. Also,. When first seen. For example, At first blush we thought it was an elegant restaurant, but it soon became obvious that it was hardly the place for a special dinner, or At first glance the contract looked just fine. All three phrases date from the 1300s. The noun blush is used with the obsolete meaning “glimpse” or “momentary view” and in this idiom has nothing to do with showing embarrassment. Also see love at first sight.

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Example Sentences

As logical as this might seem at first blush, it could ultimately prove to be misguided, according to one top Wall Street strategist.

From MarketWatch • May 28, 2026

Some hedge funds are shorting shares that at first blush don’t seem very related to the fighting, such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

I think I didn’t even quite understand what I was reading — I’m sure at first blush I thought it was romantic and wild, just like my all-consuming teenage crushes at the time.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026

Even then, his "logic" falls apart at first blush.

From Salon • May 18, 2024

Superstar lawyers and math whizzes and software entrepreneurs appear at first blush to lie outside ordinary experience.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• evidently
• officially
• seemingly
• supposedly