OSTENSIBLY Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

ostensibly

adverb

ä-ˈsten(t)-sə-blē

Definition of ostensibly

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

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 Should Adobe really have an exclusive claim to all the features, for example, that Photoshop offers, especially in our capitalist world controlled by what’s ostensibly a free market? — Ruben Circelli, PC Magazine, 29 Oct. 2026 Critics dismissed the polls as a sham designed to consolidate the military's grip on power while ostensibly restoring civilian rule. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026 Ambassadors are ostensibly bound by Article 41 of the 1961 Vienna Convention, which forbids them to interfere in their host country’s internal affairs. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026 Sarah Michelson, the 2024 Kravis Studio Resident (whom Pageant worships), ostensibly used it for rehearsals during her time there, but opted for a panel discussion in the sculpture garden when the time came for public programming. — Nolan Kelly, Artforum, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ostensibly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensibly

Adverb

That little girl was apparently perfectly built for fraud, somehow, and found the perfect environment in Silicon Valley, where exaggeration and outright lying were de rigueur.

— Torie Bosch, STAT, 24 Oct. 2026
Just before the second half began, a number of fans were given transgender pride flags, apparently in an effort to obstruct other spectators' view of the banner and XX-XY supporters.

— Matt Calkins , Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of apparently

Adverb

And the hope is that the intensified focus will produce a stronger buy-in from a locker room filled with youngsters who are seemingly starting to gain confidence, and therefore, execute at a higher level.

— Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 1 Nov. 2026
Harmless stories, dangerous behavior Some datasets explored seemingly ordinary subjects, including beekeeping, professional wrestling, and historical public-health cases.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026

Definition of seemingly

Adverb

Miles is the head of Fishers of Men Community Development Corporation, which is supposedly headquartered at the old Larimer School.

— Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
The newest prosecution of Comey, because of a supposedly threatening arrangement of seashells on a beach, is equally unlikely to stand up under prevailing law.

— David Baldacci, Vanity Fair, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of supposedly

Adverb

The trailers were recovered by police nearby, presumably after the criminals cut the locks to reveal they were each loaded with 20,000 pounds of sand.

— Nick Indge, ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026
Stallone returned to his typewriter (or, presumably by this time, laptop) in 2006 to revisit Rocky Balboa for the sequel of the same name, and the project seems to have reignited something in the writer’s artistic soul.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of presumably

Adverb

For the site of their hard launch, the odd couple chose Perfecting Church, a Black church in Detroit, evidently seeking to exploit the aura of social justice implicit in the Black faith tradition.

— Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 2 Nov. 2026
Then came the evidently now-obligatory Harrison Butker missed field goal, and a nearly instant Denver touchdown to take the lead.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of evidently

Adverb

So the theoretical maximum is 256 ESSMs rather than 64 missiles, although a practical loadout would probably mix missile types.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
The overall answer probably won't surprise you, but the nitty-gritty details might.

— Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of probably

Browse Nearby Words

ostensible

ostensibly

ostensive

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“Ostensibly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensibly. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of ostensibly

adverb

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