on the face of it

This quiet spell was, on the face of it, something of a surprise.

This suggests, on the face of it, that 66% of farms in England could potentially be affected by the tax changes.

Asked if he agreed with those who say low-paid workers would be disproportionately affected, Prof Miles said "on the face of it, it's very plausible".

Until the row in the past week, things had, on the face of it, been going well for the new prime minister and US relations.

Third on the face of it is not ideal for a driver who needs to gain an average of nearly 12 points a race over the rest of the season to win the title.