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 If anything, Trump’s escalating attempts to strong-arm people into a supposedly nicer term for AI makes him — and the industry itself — look awfully weak. — Adi Robertson, The Verge, 9 Oct. 2026 Even a pair of loofahs, presumably used, were supposedly left hanging in the bathroom. — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 8 Oct. 2026 Paper 109 supposedly uses similar methods to find new, faster ways to multiply integers together, too. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026 And that was before what looms Tuesday, when Sale can put the reigning two-time champion Dodgers — the team that supposedly broke baseball — on the brink of a very, very long offseason. — Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 5 Oct. 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
  • Corduroy, apparently, could outfit the full range of academic achievement.
    — John Vorwald, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Dominguez pressed Rahmer about Balthazar’s reported work as a foreign agent, apparently on behalf of the Haitian government.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of apparently
Adverb
  • Karen is newly sober, newly released, and seemingly determined to approach this chapter of her life with an earnestness that the rest of the cast may not be emotionally equipped to accommodate.
    — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The Beach Boys’ touring machine has been going nearly nonstop for the last 65 or so years, as Stamos and Christian Love noted in the intro, driven by Mike as one of pop music’s most inveterate and even seemingly compulsive tourers.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of seemingly
Adverb
  • The high-wire act that followed—in which performers had to make these bland conceits into something funny without, ostensibly, preparing any jokes in advance—introduced a tension that made sketch shows feel sedate and uneven by comparison.
    — Dan Brooks, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Even as Anthropic ostensibly pleads for guardrails because of AI’s peril, national security anxieties will override any caution – becauseof that same potential power.
    — Michael Serazio, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of ostensibly
Adverb
  • After all, the brain evidently accomplishes this task far more efficiently than transformers do.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Despite his insistence on stability, Towriss evidently disagreed.
    — Jason Barlow, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of evidently
Adverb
  • As of now, Game 6 would (presumably) take place at the much smaller Gateway Center Arena.
    — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • According to Vogue, on display in the sunroom (presumably where Dietrich is pictured here) was a piece called Zebra and Black Panther With Cacti, signed by the artist Charles Baskerville.
    — Juliana Ukiomogbe, Architectural Digest, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of presumably
Adverb
  • The conflict has killed at least 150,000 people, according to conflict monitor ACLED, though aid groups say the real number is probably higher.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The distance from May to October meant that people probably felt a little freer to applaud Busch’s life, without concentrating too much on the details of his tragic and unexpected death.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of probably

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supposedly
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Cite this Entry

“Supposedly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/supposedly. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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