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
Politicians, executives, and activists gather today in the Polish city of Gdańsk with defense and infrastructure ostensibly atop the agenda.
—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
25 June 2026
Six years later, an ostensibly secret but broadly tolerated Remonstrant church was established in Delft.
—
Clare Bucknell,
Harpers Magazine,
23 June 2026
The key difference is that rather than suggesting preset visuals, the AI Camera Assistant is ostensibly reacting to the scene, subject, and lighting to dynamically suggest the best alterations for that specific moment — that’s the AI of it all.
—
Dominic Preston,
The Verge,
23 June 2026
The measure could potentially pose a problem with collective bargaining because the governor’s administration is ostensibly bargaining on behalf of all agencies, said Tim Yeung, a public sector labor expert.
—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
25 June 2026
Six years later, an ostensibly secret but broadly tolerated Remonstrant church was established in Delft.
—
Clare Bucknell,
Harpers Magazine,
23 June 2026
The key difference is that rather than suggesting preset visuals, the AI Camera Assistant is ostensibly reacting to the scene, subject, and lighting to dynamically suggest the best alterations for that specific moment — that’s the AI of it all.
—
Dominic Preston,
The Verge,
23 June 2026
The measure could potentially pose a problem with collective bargaining because the governor’s administration is ostensibly bargaining on behalf of all agencies, said Tim Yeung, a public sector labor expert.
—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensibly
Adverb
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The video allegedly showed that a driver who was apparently in front of Savino swerved into the middle lane in front of a tractor-trailer to avoid a collision, the warrant affidavit said.
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Even GOATs get butterflies, apparently.
Adverb
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That pace has seemingly left lawmakers attempting to put in guardrails fighting a losing battle.
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When Lucerys refuses, Aemond chases Lucerys on his dragon, seemingly meaning to injure him rather than kill him, but his dragon, Vhagar, delivers a fatal blow to Rhaenyra’s son.
Adverb
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Or means that any comments are supposedly hypocritical.
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But leaders at United Auto Workers (UAW), the primary US union for autoworkers, reacted with anger to the new robotic presence, given how GM has not yet called back any of the workers affected by supposedly temporary layoffs in March.
Adverb
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Once, there was a showdown with another tour bus — one presumably not carrying theatergoers.
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The users within that 7% gap had presumably found their question answered by the summary and felt no further online reading was needed to satisfy their curiosity or make a decision.
Adverb
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That rough outing ultimately proved costly, but the Pirates evidently saw enough upside in Marte's arm to give him another chance.
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More importantly, Suzuka marked both the end and beginning of a chapter for the young team, which evidently had a lot of work to do before heading to the United States.
Adverb
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The stadium appeared to be about half-filled with Ecuadorian fans, probably because of the large contingent of Ecuador natives who live in the area.
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Greenberg tried his best to ignore an irritating ankle injury that had plagued him the last couple of weeks and grimaced under the hazy sunlight as the pitcher, probably 20 or more years his junior, stared him down.
Cite this Entry
“Ostensibly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensibly. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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