ON THE SURFACE Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

on the surface

phrase

Definition of on the surface

as in seemingly

to all outward appearances On the surface they seem to have a fairytale marriage, but those close to them know it isn't so simple.

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Recent Examples of on the surface Often, what is on the surface is not the root of the problem. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 What to know about Artemis Under NASA's Artemis campaign, the space agency is planning to put astronauts on the surface of the moon for the first time since the Apollo era ended in 1972. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 30 June 2026 Although the Mars rovers were designed to operate on the surface of Mars, the JPL engineers said Promise could be modified to work on the Moon. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 30 June 2026 Much research has been dedicated to exploiting the waves and oscillations of electrons that are produced on the surface of a metallic structure when photons of light strike it. — Dexter Johnson, IEEE Spectrum, 15 Dec. 2016 See All Example Sentences for on the surface

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“On the surface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/on%20the%20surface. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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