on the face of it

1. Seemingly, based on available evidence, as in On the face of it this project should break even in six months. This idiom uses face in the sense of “a superficial view.” [Early 1700s]

Example Sentences

Achieving an industrial margin of over 10% is impressive on the face of it, but the figure is flattered by higher R&D capitalization and a property sale in buses, Bernstein says.

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"I've had clients who on the face of it without IPP sentences might have faced fixed term sentences of four or five years which gives them a definite release date," he said.

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Fact-checking is an essential part of journalism, but on the face of it this did not appear to be a difficult story to confirm.

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After all that’s what everyone close to him told him to his face, and on the face of it, Donny seemed great.

Read more on Salon

It would seem an unlikely friendship on the face of it.

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Related Words

• apparently 
• doubtless 
• probably 
• seemingly 
• supposedly 
• surely