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 some spots on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, though, oysters aren’t settling, despite the ostensibly favorable conditions.
—
JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
An event that ostensibly had more success was Russia's relaunch, this September, of the Soviet-era Intervision Song Contest.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
An ambitious provocation, the book calls for a single-party system of government that ostensibly gives power back to the people (even if it’s been published by a shady corporation with its own interests in mind).
—Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
What ostensibly started as a war against the flow of the deadly opioid fentanyl has now ballooned into a far broader clash – spanning rare earths, American soybean exports, technology controls and China’s energy dealings with Russia.
—Jhasua Razo, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2025
An event that ostensibly had more success was Russia's relaunch, this September, of the Soviet-era Intervision Song Contest.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
An ambitious provocation, the book calls for a single-party system of government that ostensibly gives power back to the people (even if it’s been published by a shady corporation with its own interests in mind).
—Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
What ostensibly started as a war against the flow of the deadly opioid fentanyl has now ballooned into a far broader clash – spanning rare earths, American soybean exports, technology controls and China’s energy dealings with Russia.
—Jhasua Razo, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensibly
Adverb
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Meanwhile, prosecutors earlier this year charged three other San Diego-area CBP officers in a similar but apparently unrelated case.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
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The surgery addressed the impingement, but Ball is still apparently affected enough by it to be sidelined in game action for the better part of the last week.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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This offseason is seemingly going to be dominated by the top free agents on the market, including superstar Kyle Tucker.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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But seemingly by sheer willpower, Meredith holds out her hand, which sends the liquid back in the opposite direction toward Britani.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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Venus, the planet of love and harmony, is said to rule the Libra constellation, which supposedly makes Libras shine in their relationships.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
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First, Ron wakes up to a visit from a stranger who supposedly arranged to buy a vintage Beatles figure collection from him, and is verklempt when Ron has nothing for him.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
3 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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Holland's recent social media posts were candid about his situation, which are presumably the posts WWE considered a breach.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Mackenzie Scott‘s presumably didn’t either, but her focus did.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
5 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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The ending in del Toro’s Frankenstein is evidently one of bittersweet hope.—
Yasmeen Hamadeh,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
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Now, the 30-year-old lefty will hope some other team out there sees him as more of a roster hopeful than the Orioles evidently did.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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That probably stems from the extraordinary effort his players have produced across this block of fixtures.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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Newsom’s closure of that highway, where shrapnel actually fell on police vehicles, probably saved both lives and plenty of property damage.—
Thomas Elias,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ostensibly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensibly. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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