figures suggest

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "figures suggest" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when presenting data or statistics that indicate a particular trend or conclusion. Example: "The figures suggest that there has been a significant increase in sales over the past quarter."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The figures suggest otherwise.

The Guardian

Other figures suggest banks are excessively enmeshed.

The New York Times

New inflation figures suggest otherwise.

The Guardian

But the quarter was stronger than those figures suggest.

The New York Times

Alison Saar's carved wooden figures suggest black totems and rituals.

The New York Times - Arts

Higher overlap with commercial rivals than BBC figures suggest.

The Guardian

And the figures suggest that he was right.

The Guardian - Sport

At least that's what the traffic figures suggest.

The Guardian

At least these figures suggest it's not just me!

The Guardian - Opinion

Recent official figures suggest the impact has been limited.

The Economist

Sales figures suggest the copper craze is here to stay.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "figures suggest", ensure that the figures you are referring to are clearly defined and accessible to your audience. Provide context to help them understand the significance of the data.

Common error

Avoid implying a direct causal relationship solely based on the figures. While the figures might suggest a connection, further analysis is often needed to establish causation versus correlation. For instance, saying "the figures suggest that eating more apples prevents cancer" is incorrect if there is no study showing that apple consumption causes cancer prevention.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "figures suggest" functions as an interpretive statement, indicating a tentative conclusion based on available data. Ludwig shows that it is used to present insights derived from statistical or numerical information, without asserting absolute certainty.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "figures suggest" is a versatile phrase used to present data-driven insights in a non-assertive manner. As Ludwig confirms, this phrase is grammatically correct and commonly employed across various contexts, especially in news, science, and business. To enhance clarity, it's crucial to ensure the figures are well-defined and properly contextualized. When writing avoid mistaking a correlation for a causation relationship. For alternatives consider "data indicates" or "statistics imply", depending on the desired nuance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

the data suggests

Adds "the data" for specificity, indicating a particular dataset is being referenced.

data indicates

Replaces "figures" with "data", emphasizing the information itself as the indicator.

statistics imply

Uses "statistics" instead of "figures", providing a more formal tone and "imply" instead of suggest to indicate the figures meaning.

evidence points to

Shifts the focus to "evidence", suggesting a stronger level of proof or indication.

numbers indicate

Replaces "figures" with "numbers", a more straightforward and direct term.

results suggest

Uses "results" to highlight the outcome of a study or analysis, maintaining the suggestive tone.

analysis reveals

Emphasizes the act of "analysis" and uses "reveals" to suggest a more definitive discovery.

findings imply

Uses "findings" to denote the results of research and "imply" to suggest a conclusion.

trends indicate

Focuses on "trends" as the subject, highlighting patterns in the data.

indicators point toward

Replaces figures with a more general term of indicators.

FAQs

How can I use "figures suggest" in a sentence?

The phrase "figures suggest" is used to indicate that numerical data points towards a particular conclusion or trend. For example, "The latest sales "figures suggest" a growing interest in electric vehicles".

What are some alternatives to saying "figures suggest"?

You can use phrases like "data indicates", "statistics imply", or "evidence points to" as alternatives to "figures suggest", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey. For example, "Data indicates a decline in unemployment rates".

Is it appropriate to use "figures suggest" in formal writing?

Yes, "figures suggest" is suitable for formal writing, particularly in reports, analyses, and academic papers where you are presenting and interpreting data. Ensure that the figures are properly cited and the suggestion is reasonably supported by the data.

What's the difference between "figures suggest" and "figures prove"?

"Figures suggest" implies that the data indicates a likely conclusion but doesn't definitively establish it, whereas "figures prove" implies a conclusive and undeniable demonstration. It's safer to use ""figures suggest"" unless you have absolute certainty.