as in apparently
to all outward appearances
ostensibly a university student studying abroad, he was actually an espionage agent
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ostensibly
While the video is ostensibly about a quirky apple snack True whips up for her mom, the real showstopper is True’s surprisingly strong opinions on junk food.
—
Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
But the city also lost an undisclosed number of ostensibly underperforming stores last fall as part of the same restructuring.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
The goal is to ostensibly prevent piracy and unlicensed sharing.
—Justyn Newman, PC Magazine, 9 Apr. 2026
Nude Descending a Staircase ostensibly depicts a figure walking down a flight of stairs, as its title suggests, but the mannequin-like person is abstracted beyond recognition.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
But the city also lost an undisclosed number of ostensibly underperforming stores last fall as part of the same restructuring.
—Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
The goal is to ostensibly prevent piracy and unlicensed sharing.
—Justyn Newman, PC Magazine, 9 Apr. 2026
Nude Descending a Staircase ostensibly depicts a figure walking down a flight of stairs, as its title suggests, but the mannequin-like person is abstracted beyond recognition.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensibly
Adverb
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Only one cardinal survived—smells like a snitch—and Urban was apparently disappointed by how little the other captive cardinals had screamed.—
Jane Bua,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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The Lakers were connected, apparently having had time to adjust to the loss of their two leading scorers, LeBron James acting as a brilliant playmaker for scorching hot shooters like Kennard, who hit all five of his treys in scoring a career playoff-high 27 points.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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By the second week of April, the musician had seemingly recovered and arrived in Atlanta on April 14 for a performance at the Fox Theatre.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
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The Bucs’ seemingly endless quest for an edge rusher continues.—
Rick Stroud,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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The Renaissance master, whose name is only ever sighed in the same breath as Leonardo and Michelangelo, supposedly traded truth for beauty, and ended up destroying both.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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Then, in Florida, a brawl broke out between the crews of Lil Tjay and Offset, supposedly over a gambling debt, which ended with Offset hospitalized with a bullet wound and Tjay doing a surreal post-jail interview that felt like a Real Housewives confessional.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
16 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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And, no doubt, women in the original 1920s audience presumably had comparable lustful desires as the pair on stage; this was hardly the only Coward comedy of its era to be used for foreplay.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
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And, no doubt, women in the original 1920s audience presumably had comparable lustful desires as the pair on stage.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
20 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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But because there was a change of possession, evidently the play wasn’t reviewable.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Apr. 2026
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Back taxes evidently weren’t on his mind.—
Joseph Ataman,
CNN Money,
13 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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Making the record even more impressive was the revelation in the post-competition weighing of Wilkins’ discus to verify the record that the implement was actually two ounces heavier than the required 4 pounds, 6 ounces weight, a fact that cost Wilkins additional inches, probably feet.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
17 Apr. 2026
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Berea College, in Kentucky, is probably the most well known of these institutions.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ostensibly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensibly. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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