as in apparently
to all outward appearances
ostensibly a university student studying abroad, he was actually an espionage agent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 ostensibly
Officials, in turn, have at least ostensibly acquiesced while appealing decisions the administration opposes.
—
Christine Adams / Made By History, TIME, 13 Mar. 2025
His ostensibly innocuous shot from well above the left circle clipped Dostál and then slipped through him to open the scoring.
—Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 10 Mar. 2025
Beyond that, vitamin makers are ostensibly barred from making false or misleading claims.
—Dylan Scott, Vox, 7 Mar. 2025
These movements ostensibly supporting and elevating military service are also measures to keep veterans on a leash, the ISW said.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Christine Adams / Made By History, TIME, 13 Mar. 2025
His ostensibly innocuous shot from well above the left circle clipped Dostál and then slipped through him to open the scoring.
—Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 10 Mar. 2025
Beyond that, vitamin makers are ostensibly barred from making false or misleading claims.
—Dylan Scott, Vox, 7 Mar. 2025
These movements ostensibly supporting and elevating military service are also measures to keep veterans on a leash, the ISW said.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensibly
Adverb
-
He was apparently seen purchasing two bags of cement, a construction bucket, a box of heavy-duty trash bags, Clorox disinfectant spray and insect repellent with cash at a nearby Home Depot.—
Audrey Conklin,
Fox News,
23 Mar. 2025
-
While the company plans to focus on growing its market share, specifically increasing its 10% share of the $10 billion bridal jewelry market and mid-single-digit share of the over $50 billion fashion jewelry market, Signet apparently couldn’t do that in 2024.—
Pamela N. Danziger,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Adverb
-
This seemingly free and easy infant-feeding technique is anything but.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
17 Mar. 2025
-
Booker shot 6-of-17 and finished with 19 points and 11 assists, playing a little of his Team USA game of seemingly spending more energy moving the ball and trying to defend the perimeter.—
Joe Vardon,
The Athletic,
17 Mar. 2025
Adverb
-
Lorne Michaels, the creator of Saturday Night Live and the man most single-handedly responsible for O’Brien’s stardom, supposedly hated it.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Seething international tensions over the South China Sea have struck an unlikely victim in Vietnam: popular children's dolls pulled from shops over a facial mark supposedly resembling Beijing's claims in the flashpoint waterway.—
Lionel Lim,
Fortune Asia,
21 Mar. 2025
Adverb
-
But ‘George & Tammy’ had been a hit, and Showtime had presumably profited handsomely from Georgette’s breach.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
23 Mar. 2025
-
With his eyes presumably on that prize, Newsom is distancing himself as much as possible from the progressive wing of his party, and from any unpopular positions that his political allies might have adopted in the past decade.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
The New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2025
Adverb
-
Two top lawyers deeply involved in that scheme are no longer at the firm, which Trump is evidently trying to put out of business.—
Andrew C. McCarthy,
National Review,
15 Mar. 2025
-
Gentle and generous, and evidently not shy, Reynolds made friends quickly.—
Karen Chernick,
ARTnews.com,
14 Mar. 2025
Adverb
-
On Tuesday, a U.S. federal judge ruled that the dismantling of USAID probably violated the U.S. Constitution and blocked further cuts, but stopped short of reversing firings or fully resurrecting the agency.—
David Rising and Aniruddha Ghosal,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Oh, for sure, my parents probably immediately, but my whole family is involved in music for the most part.—
Stefan Stevenson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ostensibly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensibly. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share