as in apparently
to all outward appearances
ostensibly a university student studying abroad, he was actually an espionage agent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ostensibly
Some of Trump’s ostensibly deregulatory measures could create unwelcome public/private entanglements, like an energy dominance council (EO 14227), healthcare pricing disclosure mandates (EO 14221) and a continuation of broadband subsidies by the Department of Commerce.
—
Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
Having said that, there has been recent lobbying for UEFA to share the wealth to an even greater extent, ostensibly to improve issues with competitive balance across the continent.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 31 May 2025
The president visited Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, but not Israel, ostensibly America’s main ally in the region.
—Daniel Byman, The Atlantic, 24 May 2025
In one of his only performances as an ostensibly normal guy, Cruise brings magnificent dirtbag energy to War of the Worlds' Ray, a working-class deadbeat dad whose one weekend with his kids (Dakota Fanning and Justin Chatwin) overlaps with an alien invasion.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025
Having said that, there has been recent lobbying for UEFA to share the wealth to an even greater extent, ostensibly to improve issues with competitive balance across the continent.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 31 May 2025
The president visited Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, but not Israel, ostensibly America’s main ally in the region.
—Daniel Byman, The Atlantic, 24 May 2025
In one of his only performances as an ostensibly normal guy, Cruise brings magnificent dirtbag energy to War of the Worlds' Ray, a working-class deadbeat dad whose one weekend with his kids (Dakota Fanning and Justin Chatwin) overlaps with an alien invasion.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensibly
Adverb
-
With Barcelona apparently closing in on signing Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia, a familiar situation is looming at the new Spanish champions.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
-
Advertisement Advertisement Musk apparently believed that his wealth insulated him, but that was misguided.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
6 June 2025
Adverb
-
The case was filed at a moment when major toy corporations, like Hasbro and Mattel, were standing pat, seemingly wary of confronting the White House.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
-
Last week, Jane cried throughout her testimony, leaving the witness box in tears after recounting a seemingly never-ending freak-off during what was supposed to be a romantic, one-on-one birthday celebration with Combs in 2023.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
9 June 2025
Adverb
-
The tomb of Charles Feltman, a restaurateur who supposedly invented the hot dog, is nicer than my apartment.—
Paige Williams,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
-
Finding sand in your supposedly clean laundry is another sign.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
1 June 2025
Adverb
-
The Thunder also made a lineup change, starting Wallace instead of traditional center Isaiah Hartenstein, breaking up the Thunder’s starting lineup from each of their first 16 playoff games presumably to be better equipped to handle Indiana’s pace.—
Joe Vardon,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
-
Your friends presumably formed the band for the joy of playing.—
Eric Thomas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 June 2025
Adverb
-
Upon his passing, his cottage was sold, the new owners discovering a secret compartment in the basement, evidently designed to store the tools of a spy’s trade.—
Iain Macauley,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
-
That said, the regulars marked with the red paint evidently learned a bit better through trial and error, achieving their goal about 52 percent of the time.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
4 June 2025
Adverb
-
Wickham says, over the past year, she's probably spent 200 hours planning.—
Mia Venkat,
NPR,
31 May 2025
-
However, the end of the conversation was probably the headline – that Amodei refused to rule out AI becoming self-aware in key ways.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ostensibly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensibly. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share