The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word FACADES
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
F
A
C
A
D
E
S
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "appearances" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case appearances = facades.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does FACADES mean?
FACADES noun- The face of a building, especially the front view or elevation.
- (by extension) The face or front (most visible side) of any other thing, such as an organ.
- A deceptive or insincere outward appearance; a front.
- An object serving as a simplified interface to a larger body of code, as in the facade pattern.