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
Adverb
-
As usual, Coon thrives in ambiguity, layering a seemingly straightforward woman with depth.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026 -
Good briefly put the vehicle in reverse, then shifted into drive and hit the gas, with the wheels seemingly turned to the right instead of directly ahead toward Ross.—
Allison Gordon,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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Meanwhile, prosecutors earlier this year charged three other San Diego-area CBP officers in a similar but apparently unrelated case.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The surgery addressed the impingement, but Ball is still apparently affected enough by it to be sidelined in game action for the better part of the last week.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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But for now, the people holding the guns and ostensibly running the country are not her supporters, but Nicolás Maduro's.—
Duarte Dias,
CBS News,
5 Jan. 2026
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Patience is ostensibly a requirement for 21st century Dolphins fans, and more again will be needed.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
5 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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The most famous, perhaps, was of lung cancer patient David Prueitt, who swallowed a supposedly lethal dose of medication and awoke three days later.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
9 Jan. 2026
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But as Robby is (supposedly) on his way out, some fresh faces are navigating their very first day in the fray of the Pitt.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
Adverb
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The ending in del Toro’s Frankenstein is evidently one of bittersweet hope.—
Yasmeen Hamadeh,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
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Now, the 30-year-old lefty will hope some other team out there sees him as more of a roster hopeful than the Orioles evidently did.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
Adverb
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Additionally, the film will finally unite the Avengers with several actors from Fox's X-Men films, which took place in a separate universe that will presumably crash into Disney's MCU.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
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He’s been spotted in the Bay Area, living his life, presumably enjoying the microclimates and the ability to put the pedal to the metal on Tasman Drive.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Ostensively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensively. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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