Collocation
to be fair
Used to introduce a statement that presents a balanced or mitigating perspective, often after a critical or negative comment, acknowledging another side of the argument or excusing someone's behavior.
Definition
'to be fair' is a common English collocation. Used to introduce a statement that presents a balanced or mitigating perspective, often after a critical or negative comment, acknowledging another side of the argument or excusing someone's behavior.
to be fair
“The movie wasn't great, but to be fair, the acting was pretty good.”
Examples
- He was late again, but to be fair, the traffic was terrible.
- I was annoyed, but to be fair, she did apologize immediately.
- Their performance wasn't perfect, though to be fair, they only had a week to practice.
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- She can be a bit demanding, but to be fair, her standards are very high.
- I know you're upset, but to be fair, we did warn you about the risks.
- While his initial reaction seemed harsh, to be fair, he had been under immense pressure all week.
- It might seem like an unfair decision, yet to be fair, the committee had to consider many factors.
- The food wasn't excellent, but to be fair, it was very cheap.
- He missed a few details, but to be fair, the instructions were quite complicated.
- To be fair, his innovative approach, though unconventional, yielded surprisingly positive results.
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More idiomatic expressions
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