ostensively

adverb

as in seemingly
to all outward appearances he stops by his old office periodically, ostensively just to say "hi"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensively
  1. seemingly
  2. apparently
  3. ostensibly
  4. supposedly
  5. evidently
  6. presumably
Adverb
  • Karen is newly sober, newly released, and seemingly determined to approach this chapter of her life with an earnestness that the rest of the cast may not be emotionally equipped to accommodate.
    — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The Beach Boys’ touring machine has been going nearly nonstop for the last 65 or so years, as Stamos and Christian Love noted in the intro, driven by Mike as one of pop music’s most inveterate and even seemingly compulsive tourers.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of seemingly
Adverb
  • Corduroy, apparently, could outfit the full range of academic achievement.
    — John Vorwald, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Dominguez pressed Rahmer about Balthazar’s reported work as a foreign agent, apparently on behalf of the Haitian government.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of apparently
Adverb
  • The high-wire act that followed—in which performers had to make these bland conceits into something funny without, ostensibly, preparing any jokes in advance—introduced a tension that made sketch shows feel sedate and uneven by comparison.
    — Dan Brooks, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Even as Anthropic ostensibly pleads for guardrails because of AI’s peril, national security anxieties will override any caution – becauseof that same potential power.
    — Michael Serazio, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of ostensibly
Adverb
  • And the coach of the supposedly Super Bowl-favorite Rams is frustrated.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • This is among the many depredations that this supposedly mainstream Administration has committed.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of supposedly
Adverb
  • After all, the brain evidently accomplishes this task far more efficiently than transformers do.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Despite his insistence on stability, Towriss evidently disagreed.
    — Jason Barlow, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of evidently
Adverb
  • As of now, Game 6 would (presumably) take place at the much smaller Gateway Center Arena.
    — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • According to Vogue, on display in the sunroom (presumably where Dietrich is pictured here) was a piece called Zebra and Black Panther With Cacti, signed by the artist Charles Baskerville.
    — Juliana Ukiomogbe, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of presumably
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.

Browse Nearby Words

ostensive
ostensively
ostentation
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ostensively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensively. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All