as in apparently
to all outward appearances
ostensibly a university student studying abroad, he was actually an espionage agent
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ostensibly
In its early days, the site was overrun with humans desperate to make a quick buck — while the AI agents that would ostensibly assign those jobs were nowhere to be found.
—
Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 25 Mar. 2026
The film is ostensibly aiming for biting satire in the post-#girlboss era, but its foundation already feels out of step with reality in early 2026.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026
Without giving away major spoilers, the video game actors behind the duo can’t share much about how the story ends, other than what their personal experiences were playing Max (Hannah Telle) and Chloe (Rhianna DeVries) for ostensibly the last time.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 24 Mar. 2026
Lines and other extended objects seem to be commonplace and even expected in QFT, which ostensibly describes pointlike objects.
—Quanta Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 25 Mar. 2026
The film is ostensibly aiming for biting satire in the post-#girlboss era, but its foundation already feels out of step with reality in early 2026.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 25 Mar. 2026
Without giving away major spoilers, the video game actors behind the duo can’t share much about how the story ends, other than what their personal experiences were playing Max (Hannah Telle) and Chloe (Rhianna DeVries) for ostensibly the last time.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 24 Mar. 2026
Lines and other extended objects seem to be commonplace and even expected in QFT, which ostensibly describes pointlike objects.
—Quanta Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensibly
Adverb
-
Berseth did not respond to a phone message or to an email or letter sent to addresses apparently associated with her.—
David Hilzenrath,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
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But, as has been widely discussed, putting US boots on the ground would carry enormous risks, not least because possible ground operations have been telegraphed by Washington for weeks, while apparently unprepared US forces scattered across the world have been slowly amassed.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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After that, Johnson was seemingly out of the jam, but the pop-up dropped and two more runs scored.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
31 Mar. 2026
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In Tennessee, bills moving through the legislature would allow public schools to refuse to enroll undocumented students, seemingly in violation of Plyer.—
Jenni Fink,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Our military bases in the region, Margaret, right now are supposedly uninhabitable.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
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In Huerta’s case, critics just don’t buy how someone who carried Chávez’s torch decades after his death could all of a sudden supposedly turn on him.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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So why was The Testaments the project to lead to her largest acting role — and, presumably, press circuit — in years?—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Mar. 2026
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The musicians presumably had to rely heavily on loops in order to finish their tracks before the buzzer went off, and something is always slamming, scratching, or puttering away in the background.—
Daniel Bromfield,
Pitchfork,
30 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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There’s evidently a limit to how far an actor will go in compromising their ability to portray a more youthful person.—
Valerie Monroe,
Allure,
25 Mar. 2026
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The other ranking finds that Naperville is evidently taking care of business quite well.—
Steve Metsch,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Baker would probably love People’s, a new referral-only cocktail lounge in the West Village.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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Using such a large share of the river for cattle feed probably isn’t sustainable.—
Brandon Loomis,
AZCentral.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ostensibly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensibly. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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