as in apparently
to all outward appearances
ostensibly a university student studying abroad, he was actually an espionage agent
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Recent Examples of ostensibly
Tensions with privacy concerns There are ostensibly legal guardrails that are supposed to dictate how companies like Google access and share footage collected on cameras in and around people’s homes.
—
Safiyah Riddle, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Although the collection was ostensibly fall, the brand follows a non-seasonal approach with most garments light enough to be worn in cool temperatures or as layering pieces in the cold.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 6 Feb. 2026
For years, the consensus in this country has been that a mother’s job is, ostensibly, to protect her children at all costs.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 6 Feb. 2026
Why, as a former mayor of Tehran, demanded in his newspaper last week, do 40 million Iranians live below the poverty line while the state operates mega charitable foundations with billion-dollar budgets ostensibly to help the poor?
—Azadeh Moaveni, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Safiyah Riddle, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Although the collection was ostensibly fall, the brand follows a non-seasonal approach with most garments light enough to be worn in cool temperatures or as layering pieces in the cold.
—Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 6 Feb. 2026
For years, the consensus in this country has been that a mother’s job is, ostensibly, to protect her children at all costs.
—Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 6 Feb. 2026
Why, as a former mayor of Tehran, demanded in his newspaper last week, do 40 million Iranians live below the poverty line while the state operates mega charitable foundations with billion-dollar budgets ostensibly to help the poor?
—Azadeh Moaveni, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensibly
Adverb
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Those who make these claims apparently haven't been paying much attention these past four years, in particular to which side (hint, Russia) has been forced to shed most of that blood.—
Bradley Gitz,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
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Though Steele wrote to Epstein another four times in the first half of 2018, Epstein apparently did not reply.—
Brendan Ruberry,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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And it’s all housed inside a glamorous 120-year-old building sat beneath the towering Alps in northern Italy, long a retreat for aristocrats and dignitaries alike—and now, of course, folks devoted to that seemingly elusive goal of reaching the pinnacle of health.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
16 Feb. 2026
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Pregnancy was an offense punishable by death in the camps, yet all three women managed to survive horrific conditions, give birth and keep their newborns alive through seemingly impossible twists of fate and luck.—
Lesley Stahl,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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His cinema verite style powerfully exposed the horrific inhumanity of public institutions (like hospitals, schools and housing projects) supposedly created to help people.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Feb. 2026
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Therefore, Tagovailoa’s not deserving of hatred, or pity for what’s to come, which supposedly hasn’t been decided according to a chat the new regime had with season-ticket holders Thursday night.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Whitney shepherds a sky-high Henry from the dance floor, where things were getting steamy, to a glory hole, presumably so the Industry FX guy can show off his derring-do.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
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Intuit won’t say how much that 45-second ad cost, but the going rate just for the airtime was $8 million to $10 million for 30 seconds, and Brody, a two-time Oscar winner, presumably doesn’t work for the actors’ union scale.—
Geoff Colvin,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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The attitude evidently was catching.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
17 Feb. 2026
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The boys — Nico, 5, and Noah, 3 — evidently knew what was happening.—
Tim Reynolds,
Denver Post,
17 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Some are strong sellers that are being made available at sizeable discounts, while others are older medications, have inexpensive generic alternatives or are being offered at prices that are probably comparable to what drugmakers receive from insurers.—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
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Most are passionate about food and/or art, probably the two leading draws for anyone visiting San Miguel.—
Megan Spurrell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ostensibly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensibly. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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