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
  • The premise for prevention is to create an accountability role for everyone to play, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Many of the seemingly absurd projects celebrated by the Ig Nobels have gone on to inspire practical advances in scientific knowledge.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of seemingly
Adverb
  • The brothers were apparently never scheduled to appear at the conference, though journalists and fans in the room seemed to not be aware of this.
    — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Although law firms are beginning to embrace the benefits of generative AI, the technology apparently makes many law schools squeamish.
    — Sian Leah Beilock, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of apparently
Adverb
  • Much of its aid has come in unsigned rulings on the emergency docket—ostensibly temporary and non-precedent-setting judgments that nevertheless carry serious consequences.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The arrests, ostensibly for bribery, have sent a stark warning to Gazprom and the entire oil and gas industry, which faces a growing crisis of production and distribution as a result of war disruptions.
    — Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of ostensibly
Adverb
  • Most players largely celebrate their own successes, rather than their opponents’ errors, and antics like those supposedly violate the sport’s unwritten behavioral codes.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • According to legend, a traveling salesman saw the escape artist in the booth and locked him inside, supposedly causing Houdini to furiously attempt to kick his way out.
    — Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of supposedly
Adverb
  • His predictions mostly involved preaching to the AI evangelist choir, and his fervor for the tech evidently led him to throw caution to the winds of Wall Street.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 27 Aug. 2026
  • It was evidently lost amid the flood of congratulatory messages that arrived on campus that day, and Calhoun didn’t remember it.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of evidently
Adverb
  • Under such a contract, customers (like the Navy) will request Seasat to supply the boats, launch them, maintain them, operate the autonomous system, and presumably provide the sensor/data service.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • That his family doesn’t aggressively question him and the director doesn’t aggressively question him presumably is what allowed Tez to do this wild thing in the first place, and helps the documentary simulate objectivity.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 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 8 Sep. 2026.

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