despite appearances

phrase

: even though (something) does not appear to be so
Despite appearances, her company is very successful.

Examples of despite appearances in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Large language model AIs like the one under the hood of ChatGPT don’t have actual personalities, despite appearances. — Jeffrey Young, The Conversation, 23 July 2026 That is the eternal truth about man, so despite appearances, that was the truth about me. — Jeff Shepard, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Apr. 2026 Assaf maintains that the company has happily steered clear of the big-money sports and, despite appearances, has no interest in NIL Club being used as a workaround for revenue-sharing caps established under the House settlement. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 Feb. 2026 Abigail Marsh, a psychology and neuroscience professor at Georgetown University, says that despite appearances, people are becoming more compassionate. — Ronnie Li, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for despite appearances

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Despite appearances.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/despite%20appearances. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!