on closer inspection

idiom

: when examined more closely
On closer inspection, the painting proved to be a fake.

Examples of on closer inspection 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.
But while public trust in general seems to be resilient, that finding becomes more complex on closer inspection. Ars Technica, 18 Feb. 2025 Finally, even the success stories tend to fall apart on closer inspection. Séverine Autesserre, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2018 Sadly, on closer inspection none of them were found to have alien origin. Michael Irving, New Atlas, 21 Oct. 2024 Dracula’s dining hall features a series of ancestral portraits, which on closer inspection turn out to be previous big screen Draculas played by Luke Evans, Brad Pitt, Gary Oldman, Christopher Lee and Max Schreck. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 17 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for on closer inspection

Browse Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

“On closer inspection.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20closer%20inspection. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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