First recorded in 1590–1600
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To be sure, index inclusion represents passive buying, and buying drives up stock prices, but passive buying, at best, creates short-term distortions in price, not long-term distortions in value.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
Welker said: "To be fair, I'm not crooked. But let's continue."
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
To be sure, May’s strong jobs report should underpin economic optimism.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 7, 2026
To be sure, there is a legitimate conversation to be had about how to improve election administration — including funding, staffing, technology and public communication.
From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026
To be on the safe side, I slipped the envelope under my pillow, still damp from my good cry last night.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
