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
Several songs on Harry’s House were ostensibly about Wilde, but didn’t address the contentious circumstances around their relationship the way Styles does here.
—
Walden Green, Pitchfork, 6 Mar. 2026
Edu’s remit as sporting director had ostensibly included oversight of both the academy and the women’s team.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
But no, Tommy will not be moved, wallowing in grief for his young daughter and tormented by the death of his brother Arthur, ostensibly a suicide.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2026
The 2003 Iraq war ostensibly ended in less than a month.
—Ibrahim Al-Marashi, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Walden Green, Pitchfork, 6 Mar. 2026
Edu’s remit as sporting director had ostensibly included oversight of both the academy and the women’s team.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
But no, Tommy will not be moved, wallowing in grief for his young daughter and tormented by the death of his brother Arthur, ostensibly a suicide.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2026
The 2003 Iraq war ostensibly ended in less than a month.
—Ibrahim Al-Marashi, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensibly
Adverb
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The fuse was apparently connected to an M80-type firework, according to CBS News.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
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And also for Iran itself, where the regime is apparently still in charge of the armed forces even with the successful actions by the Israelis and the Americans.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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The eerie male voice then read a seemingly random string of numbers.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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On many tables was a seasonal Dungeness crab dish with green-garlic butter, and seemingly on every single table were those butter beans with greens (for tonight, Caraflex cabbage).—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
9 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Pournouri had alleged that a Netflix documentary two years before the 2018 death of the DJ, whose real name is Tim Bergling, and two posthumously released books defamed him, violating a 2016 agreement that supposedly prevented Bergling from speaking about their partnership.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
9 Mar. 2026
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And when the British army brought their trench coats to the continent, they were kitted out in military features like shoulder epaulettes for indicating rank insignia and metal D-rings that could hold maps, swords (and supposedly) grenades.—
Eric Twardzik,
Robb Report,
9 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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His decision on retirement presumably included factors far beyond football, as Kelce has career options in entertainment, as well.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
9 Mar. 2026
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Regime change is presumably impossible without a full-scale invasion of Afghanistan, and that’s never gone well for anyone.—
Mihir Sharma,
Twin Cities,
8 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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The Supreme Court evidently agreed.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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My stepmother evidently objected to it.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
2 Mar. 2026
Adverb
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Super fans into physical media probably ordered one or more of the seven vinyl variants or the CD.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
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The right parenting style comes down to the needs and developmental pace of your children—but getting them outside to play more and teaching them to be resilient and fearless are probably not a bad idea anyway.—
Amy Morin,
Parents,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ostensibly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensibly. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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