appear to be offline

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "appear to be offline" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when indicating that something or someone seems to not be connected to the internet or is not currently active online. Example: "The server seems to appear to be offline, preventing users from accessing the website."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The program's default options were set to make users appear to be offline.

The New York Times - Tech

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

As of this morning, the website appeared to be offline.

Independent

Warning: as of November 1, 2017, this site appears to be offline.

Columbia University

Everything appears to be offline.

TechCrunch

It also appears to be offline in parts of Asia, including India, and Africa.

TechCrunch

The Daily Stormer, a U.S. white supremacist website which self-bills as "The World's Most Genocidal Republican Website" and includes a discussion board on "Nazi lifestyle", currently appears to be offline.

TechCrunch

At the time of writing The Daily Stormer appears to be offline again — and there's a good reason for that: Cloudflare, which had been providing denial of service protection to the website, has apparently also bowed to public pressure and terminated the site's subscription.

TechCrunch

Both have been charged with money laundering and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, and BitInstant appears to be offline as of Monday morning.

Forbes

And while Mika uses a laptop to attend night school remotely, she reads what appears to be an encyclopedia — offline.

The New York Times - Books

Use of the technology appears to be, in some cases, an adjunct to other offline resources.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

While the former site was still offline Friday afternoon, the latter appeared to be functioning normally.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "appear to be offline" when you want to convey an impression or observation, rather than a confirmed fact. This is particularly useful when diagnosing technical issues remotely.

Common error

Avoid using "appear to be offline" when you have concrete evidence that something is indeed offline. Reserve the phrase for situations where you're making an educated guess or stating an initial assessment.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "appear to be offline" functions as a descriptive phrase, often used to indicate the perceived status of a system, device, or user. As evidenced by Ludwig, it expresses an observation rather than a definitive declaration.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Academia

33%

Wiki

17%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "appear to be offline" is a grammatically correct phrase used to describe the tentative state of something that seems disconnected from the internet or a network. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's a neutral and versatile expression employed across various contexts, including news, academic discourse, and technical documentation. While not overly common, it effectively conveys a sense of observation rather than a definitive declaration, making it valuable when uncertainty exists. Related phrases like "seem to be disconnected" or "appear to be down" can be used as alternatives depending on the specific nuance you wish to express.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

seem to be disconnected

Focuses more on the physical or logical disconnection from a network or system.

look to be unavailable

Emphasizes the state of being not accessible or ready for use.

appear to be down

Specifically indicates that a system or service is not functioning.

seem to be unreachable

Highlights the inability to establish a connection or contact.

appear to be inactive

Suggests a lack of current activity or operation.

look to be out of service

Implies a temporary or permanent cessation of service.

seem to be non-operational

Formally states that something is not in working order.

appear to be inaccessible

Highlights the inability to gain access.

look to be dormant

Suggests a state of inactivity, possibly temporary.

seem to be disabled

Emphasizes that the access has been intentionally blocked

FAQs

How can I use "appear to be offline" in a sentence?

You can use "appear to be offline" to describe the status of a website, a person on a messaging app, or any networked device when its online status is uncertain. For example, "The website "seem to be down", but it might just be my connection."

What's the difference between "appear to be offline" and "is offline"?

"Appear to be offline" suggests an observation or impression, while "is offline" is a statement of fact. The former implies less certainty. You would say, "The server "appear to be offline"," if you suspect it's down, but haven't confirmed it. Once confirmed, you'd say, "The server "is offline"."

What can I say instead of "appear to be offline"?

Alternatives include "seem to be disconnected", "look to be unavailable", or "appear to be down" depending on the context. Each alternative slightly shifts the nuance of the statement.

Is it appropriate to use "appear to be offline" in formal writing?

Yes, "appear to be offline" is suitable for formal writing, especially in technical reports or documentation, when describing the status of systems or networks. It conveys a professional tone while acknowledging a degree of uncertainty. However, using stronger evidence or stating the confirmed status is always preferable.