to/by all (outward) appearances
idiom
: it seems : according to what other people see
He was, to/by all (outward) appearances, a happily married man.
Examples of to/by all (outward) appearances in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Kenneth Lukong moved from his native Cameroon to the United States in 2016 to become a Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and by all appearances things were going smoothly.
—
Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 9 Nov. 2024
In a far sunnier corner of Middle-earth, Elrond decides to take refuge with Círdan (new addition Ben Daniels), a revered shipwright and, by all appearances, a wise and reliable (and bearded) elf elder.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2024
Van’s mom drinks, Taissa’s outward calm conceals a well of subconscious rage, and the two of them are also, by all appearances, still closeted.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 2 Oct. 2024
From Maine to Alaska, USA TODAY reported from towns named Hope about the state of a nation that to all appearances is divided, angry and fearful about its future amid a ferocious election year.
—Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 19 Sep. 2024
The traditional approach to running field operations in a very close race is to flood the state with resources to persuade as many voters as possible; the Trump campaign has by all appearances remained uninterested in volume or broadening its coalition.
—Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024
An ode to love and literature that began in the library and ended with what was, by all appearances, a ménage à trois entering an apartment and saucily closing the door on the camera operator?
—Judy Berman, TIME, 26 July 2024
But the Giants’ co-owner is doing his best by all appearances to let Schoen build the roster and set the team’s narratives without public interference.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 24 Mar. 2024
Gigantic, populous, and resource rich, India is, by all appearances, a superpower in waiting.
—Robert D. Blackwill, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2019
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Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 9 Nov. 2024
In a far sunnier corner of Middle-earth, Elrond decides to take refuge with Círdan (new addition Ben Daniels), a revered shipwright and, by all appearances, a wise and reliable (and bearded) elf elder.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2024
Van’s mom drinks, Taissa’s outward calm conceals a well of subconscious rage, and the two of them are also, by all appearances, still closeted.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 2 Oct. 2024
From Maine to Alaska, USA TODAY reported from towns named Hope about the state of a nation that to all appearances is divided, angry and fearful about its future amid a ferocious election year.
—Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 19 Sep. 2024
The traditional approach to running field operations in a very close race is to flood the state with resources to persuade as many voters as possible; the Trump campaign has by all appearances remained uninterested in volume or broadening its coalition.
—Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024
An ode to love and literature that began in the library and ended with what was, by all appearances, a ménage à trois entering an apartment and saucily closing the door on the camera operator?
—Judy Berman, TIME, 26 July 2024
But the Giants’ co-owner is doing his best by all appearances to let Schoen build the roster and set the team’s narratives without public interference.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 24 Mar. 2024
Gigantic, populous, and resource rich, India is, by all appearances, a superpower in waiting.
—Robert D. Blackwill, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2019
Cite this Entry
“To/by all (outward) appearances.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/to%2Fby%20all%20%28outward%29%20appearances. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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