ENGLISH
REFERENCE

to be sure

idiom
Meaning

Certainly, undoubtedly, admittedly, surely.


Examples
SIMPLE

It is a difficult task, to be sure.

CONTEXTUAL

The project was expensive and took a long time to be sure, but the final results were excellent.

COMPLEX

The evidence against the suspect is circumstantial, to be sure, yet it remains compelling enough to warrant a formal investigation by the authorities.

Anchors to
Related idioms2entries
  1. 01

    I'm sure

    Used as an interjection to indicate denial or contradiction in response to an assertion or accusation.

  2. 02

    sure enough

    Just as one would expect.

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