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
Pronatalist movement leaders such as Simone and Malcolm Collins have pushed the White House and Congress to consider policy issues that would ostensibly help more families to have babies.
—
Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 13 Sep. 2025
Advertisement Even the engravings with ostensibly political meanings may not be so clear-cut.
—Richard Hall, Time, 13 Sep. 2025
From the outside, Laura could be loving, protective, overbearing, even intrusive — while Cherry sows doubt for hiding pieces of her past despite ostensibly adoring her new beau.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2025
Until George Springer yanked a 450-foot fly to the left-field bleachers, the lineup was ostensibly silent.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 13 Sep. 2025
Advertisement Even the engravings with ostensibly political meanings may not be so clear-cut.
—Richard Hall, Time, 13 Sep. 2025
From the outside, Laura could be loving, protective, overbearing, even intrusive — while Cherry sows doubt for hiding pieces of her past despite ostensibly adoring her new beau.
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2025
Until George Springer yanked a 450-foot fly to the left-field bleachers, the lineup was ostensibly silent.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensibly
Adverb
-
You guys are apparently playing one more concert.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
13 Sep. 2025
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Whatever the case might be, there’s clearly at least one contingent in King Charles’ inner circle, which apparently includes Prince William, that would love for this Harry meeting to be a one-and-done.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
13 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Never follow your boyfriend to college, especially a seemingly mediocre college, as Belly does with Jeremiah to the fictional Finch.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
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And each year, the seemingly impossible becomes reality again.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
10 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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The meeting was arranged at the last minute, in part because Harry was supposedly nervous about leaks, Griffiths also said.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
10 Sep. 2025
-
These creations are supposedly already out in the wild.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Those leaders presumably enjoy expertise when deciding how to address safety concerns.—
Justin Wingerter,
Denver Post,
10 Sep. 2025
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Some point out that with the latest high-tech, such as eyeball scans, presumably people could be distinctly and suitably identified.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Those watching on social media evidently agreed, with the clip earning over 120,000 views.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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No, not drugs—for the young Michael Clune, those would evidently come soon enough—but art.—
Scott Stossel,
The Atlantic,
9 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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That probably caught Giants fans off guard, but inside the Colts’ building?—
Dianna Russini,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
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Those guys are minutes from each other, probably seeing each other on a weekly, daily basis.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ostensibly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensibly. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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