on the surface
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
You know, I really didn’t go as deep as I wanted to, I stayed on the surface with many topics because I didn’t want to embarrass anyone.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2026
"If you go back to the fields you were walking in when you were young, you will notice that there is a thinner soil on there and there's more rock on the surface," he said.
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026
One common representation is the "Bloch sphere," a geometric model in which every possible pure state of a single qubit corresponds to a point on the surface of a sphere.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026
Even the most polite friendships on the surface can slowly rot from the inside out.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 25, 2026
She drummed her fingers on the surface of her papers and her frizzy hair was coming undone from her usual tight ballerina bun.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
