supposedly

adverb

sə-ˈpō-zəd-lē How to pronounce supposedly (audio)
Definition of supposedlynext
as in apparently
to all outward appearances she's supposedly too sick to come—or so she says

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of supposedly Without proper planning, militaries risk spending heavily on supposedly interchangeable equipment that doesn’t work together as intended. — David Averre, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Nov. 2026 Undeterred, Ghidorah returned for a rematch just a year later in Invasion of Astro Monster (1965), after being discovered supposedly terrorizing the inhabitants of Planet X, a world found beyond Jupiter. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 Nov. 2026 The story follows a mysterious woman who appears in town more than 20 years after she was supposedly murdered. — Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2026 But it was beset by issues from the start, including when Musk invited someone to hurl a ball at a supposedly unbreakable window on stage, and the glass shattered. — Victoria Craw, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for supposedly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for supposedly
  1. apparently
  2. seemingly
  3. ostensibly
  4. evidently
  5. presumably
  6. probably
Adverb
  • The near-deadlock was partly produced because voters, apparently weary of New Zealand's economic woes and apathetic about both Luxon and Hipkins, chose to propel a new entrant group to Parliament for the first time in years.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2026
  • But for Mao, the occasional allergic reaction is apparently a small price to pay for some quality cat time.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of apparently
Adverb
  • Reaves hit a seemingly impossible baseline fadeaway in the first quarter, flinging the ball almost over the backboard.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Nacua, seemingly open all afternoon, was the target on 19 of those attempts.
    — Andrew Gillis, Baltimore Sun, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of seemingly
Adverb
  • The skatepark, architecturally inspired by famous skate spots across the British capital, has ostensibly been a major hit.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Beyond mashups, how should a model like Claude ensure there’s a difference between a direct re-creation of Tetris (ostensibly disallowed by the new prompt) and a mere game in the Tetris genre (ostensibly allowed by the prompt)?
    — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of ostensibly
Adverb
  • For the site of their hard launch, the odd couple chose Perfecting Church, a Black church in Detroit, evidently seeking to exploit the aura of social justice implicit in the Black faith tradition.
    — Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Then came the evidently now-obligatory Harrison Butker missed field goal, and a nearly instant Denver touchdown to take the lead.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of evidently
Adverb
  • Benchley presumably got a much bigger advance as well — King’s $2,500 was barely enough to splurge on a new Pinto.
    — Chris Nashawaty, HollywoodReporter, 13 Nov. 2026
  • The only difference is that Megan wears dark sunglasses, presumably blocking out some of the bright, flashing lights.
    — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of presumably
Adverb
  • Even after Cope clanked both, rookie coach Eric Laut – an assistant at Utah State under Jerrod Calhoun the past two seasons – could have probably iced it by having the Texans team intentionally foul USD.
    — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
  • But with Great America’s latest corporate owner, Six Flags, struggling financially after its merger with Cedar Fair, there have been clear signs that the park probably was going to close sooner rather than later.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of probably

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supposed
supposedly
supposes
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Cite this Entry

“Supposedly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/supposedly. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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