ostensively

adverb

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensively
  1. seemingly
  2. apparently
  3. ostensibly
  4. supposedly
  5. evidently
  6. presumably
Adverb
  • With Hjobjerg seemingly having turned Newcastle down and Palhinha appearing likely to move elsewhere, Ross Wilson, the club’s sporting director, is exploring alternative midfield options.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Even seemingly small details, like an owl carved into the hospital’s columns, carry deeper meaning.
    — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of seemingly
Adverb
  • Because apparently groceries need to be accelerated urgently.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Clancy then ingested prescription medication, slashed her wrists and neck with a knife, and apparently threw herself head first out of a second-story window, resulting in permanent paralysis from the sternum down.
    — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of apparently
Adverb
  • Critics dismissed the polls, held in phases in December and January, as a sham designed to consolidate the military’s grip on power while ostensibly restoring civilian rule.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The ostensibly patriotic event repeated every year, serving as a kind of decoy, an excuse for tribal members to gather and dance.
    — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of ostensibly
Adverb
  • What also rang true for me was the way that, in the course of the season, Deborah said no to so many of the ideas her writers had supposedly submitted.
    — Merrill Markoe, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The drone boat itself supposedly carried explosives, according to Miruță’s comments, as reported by Reuters.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of supposedly
Adverb
  • But with the Red Sox evidently set on their major-league catching options, Knizner is looking elsewhere.
    — Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Arendt, evidently depressed and convinced of life’s meaninglessness, found his teaching electrifying.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of evidently
Adverb
  • Bou Meng’s first wife was arrested with him and disappeared from the prison, and presumably was executed.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • What follows is presumably the narrator’s effort to make good on his or her threat.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 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
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Cite this Entry

“Ostensively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensively. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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