as in seemingly
to all outward appearances
the lake's putatively pristine water is actually crawling with microorganisms that can wreak havoc with your gastrointestinal system
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Recent Examples of putatively
In those pages, Fiedler dared to argue that many of America’s boyish and putatively innocent classics are in fact fantasies of interracial, homosexual romance.
—
Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
But with supposedly or putatively race-neutral methods, for 100 years, the right to vote was denied.
—CBS News, 4 May 2026
From the perspective of a world of increasingly unimaginable maldistribution of resources, cascading ecological collapse, a genocide cheered on by a putatively liberal order, both are barbarisms.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
But with supposedly or putatively race-neutral methods, for 100 years, the right to vote was denied.
—CBS News, 4 May 2026
From the perspective of a world of increasingly unimaginable maldistribution of resources, cascading ecological collapse, a genocide cheered on by a putatively liberal order, both are barbarisms.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putatively
Adverb
-
The last two sales seasons at the auction houses have seemingly driven home this desire for trophy works—A-plus material.—
Harrison Jacobs,
ARTnews.com,
15 June 2026
-
The Rabbit Hole is more playful, with its games room, pool table, ping pong and private bar, seemingly designed for long nights and bad decisions.—
Arion McNicoll,
TheWeek,
15 June 2026
Adverb
-
There was, apparently, a sitar soundtrack.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 June 2026
-
Especially from a woman who’s apparently about to launch a crackah empire!—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
Adverb
-
The Mexican beer cocktail, michelada, is a savory drink supposedly born from Club Deportivo Potosino in San Luis Potosí in the 1970s.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
15 June 2026
-
On Sunday, Americans had the opportunity to watch an Ultimate Fighting Championship cage fight held on the White House lawn, supposedly as part of the celebration of our nation’s 250 anniversary.—
Tom Zirpoli,
Baltimore Sun,
15 June 2026
Adverb
-
Even after that, once the Strait of Hormuz is open, ostensibly, the oil sanctions are going to be lifted on Iran.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 June 2026
-
Still, the simple story — written by Jordan Tannahill, who adapted his own book, and directed by Janicza Bravo — illustrates various destructive choices and cruel actions ostensibly driven by love.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
12 June 2026
Adverb
-
More importantly, Suzuka marked both the end and beginning of a chapter for the young team, which evidently had a lot of work to do before heading to the United States.—
Jerry Perez,
The Drive,
11 June 2026
-
But in this literary theatre geek’s opinion—and, evidently, the voting public’s—there’s always room for more crossover acts.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Adverb
-
Some families even bring their housekeepers, presumably to clean up all of the empty soy sauce packets.—
Brendan Cosgrove,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
-
With Washington off to Auburn, Knighton will presumably enter the fall as the lead back.—
Steven Johnson
June 15,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 June 2026
Adverb
-
That’s probably the biggest takeaway from Thursday’s interaction.—
Nick Harris
June 11,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 June 2026
-
Sudden cuts tend to backfire, leaving you with the very symptoms fatigue, headaches, irritability that probably sent you reaching for caffeine in the first place.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
12 June 2026
Adverb
-
County officials have said additional budget cuts will likely be necessary in the coming years.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
-
While Pochettino said the substitution was purely precautionary, American fans will likely remain uneasy until Pulisic is back on the field and fully healthy.—
Matt Reigle,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Putatively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putatively. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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