as in apparent
appearing to be true on the basis of evidence that may or may not be confirmed
the putative reason for her dismissal was poor job performance
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Recent Examples of putative
Monroe explains why, drawing on interviews with policymakers, archival work, and novel data on decades of putative policy changes in the Middle East.
—
Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
Still, Indians have taken note that Trump is cracking down hardest against India, a putative partner, for buying oil from Russia, and not on China, allegedly America’s main adversary, which imports even more Russian oil.
—Andreas Kluth, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2025
Iran’s putative revisionist allies in Moscow and Beijing offered no support.
—The Editors, National Review, 24 June 2025
As for putative conflicts of interest, Science found that of ACIP members who were appointed by President Biden in 2024, only eight had received any payments from vaccine makers in 2017-2023.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for putative
Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
Still, Indians have taken note that Trump is cracking down hardest against India, a putative partner, for buying oil from Russia, and not on China, allegedly America’s main adversary, which imports even more Russian oil.
—Andreas Kluth, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2025
Iran’s putative revisionist allies in Moscow and Beijing offered no support.
—The Editors, National Review, 24 June 2025
As for putative conflicts of interest, Science found that of ACIP members who were appointed by President Biden in 2024, only eight had received any payments from vaccine makers in 2017-2023.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for putative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putative
Adjective
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The apparent hoaxes come amid heightened concern over campus safety following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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Paramount’s apparent interest is no surprise since the company’s ambitious new CEO, David Ellison, has talked about a desire to strike further deals.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The presumed reasoning behind why the film was ignored is multilayered.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Simmons is listed as probable on the Ole Miss injury report.—
Tom Murphy,
Arkansas Online,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Worthy’s probable absence should stand to elevate the role of receiver Tyquan Thornton, who joined Kansas City’s practice squad in mid-November.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The shift has profound implications in House districts across the country, seeping into Democratic primaries as a possible liability for more centrist members.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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New downloads of Weather are no longer possible on Wear OS 6 devices from third-party manufacturers, such as Samsung, OnePlus and others.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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As Alfred Hitchcock’s tale of murder and depravity builds to its climax, the film’s ostensible hero, tennis professional Guy Haines (Farley Granger), needs to get out ahead of the psychopath (Robert Walker) who means to frame him for a murder.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2025
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As three Navy destroyers and three amphibious warships move toward the coast of Venezuela this weekend in an ostensible U.S. counternarcotics operation, the Trump administration’s show of force is rekindling memories of another presidency, era and country.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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These innocuous-seeming actions can kindle dry vegetation, potentially spawning a wildfire.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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There is some negative buzz around the movie, mostly down to the casting of Jared Leto, along with the seeming absence of Sam Flynn and Quorra from the sequel.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For less obvious water damage, car owners might eventually smell mold or mildew.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
9 Sep. 2025
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All of which raises an obvious question.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Putative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putative. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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