as in apparently
to all outward appearances
ostensibly a university student studying abroad, he was actually an espionage agent
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Recent Examples of ostensibly
Currently, Luv Is Rage 3 has been given no release date, with Eternal Atake 2 ostensibly arriving in its place.
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Tyler Jenke, Billboard, 1 Nov. 2024
The pages have co-opted the branding of hacktivist movement Anonymous, an ostensibly anti-establishment group of online activists and hackers that rose to prominence in the early 2000s.
—Meriem Mahdhi, WIRED, 1 Nov. 2024
The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020) Jim Cummings’ second feature is ostensibly a werewolf murder mystery but reveals itself as an uncommonly gentle rumination on masculinity.
—EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
Rieger’s struggle, though, underscores the limits of the policy and the broader contradictions that make motherhood in Germany challenging, even with ostensibly affordable day care.
—Rachel M. Cohen, Vox, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ostensibly 
Tyler Jenke, Billboard, 1 Nov. 2024
The pages have co-opted the branding of hacktivist movement Anonymous, an ostensibly anti-establishment group of online activists and hackers that rose to prominence in the early 2000s.
—Meriem Mahdhi, WIRED, 1 Nov. 2024
The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020) Jim Cummings’ second feature is ostensibly a werewolf murder mystery but reveals itself as an uncommonly gentle rumination on masculinity.
—EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
Rieger’s struggle, though, underscores the limits of the policy and the broader contradictions that make motherhood in Germany challenging, even with ostensibly affordable day care.
—Rachel M. Cohen, Vox, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ostensibly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensibly
Adverb
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Novak Djokovic will skip the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy and apparently look forward to 2025.Adam Zagoria, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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Dressed in a stunning white gown, the bride was filmed seated in the corner of the room, apparently unfazed, casually munching on a snack and keeping herself cool with a handheld electric fan.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Adverb
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Heading into the second half of a season where seemingly nothing has gone right, the 49ers are doubling down.Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
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What to expect today After months of polls, speculation, political ads and seemingly endless barnstorming of Michigan, Election Day 2024 has finally arrived.Elissa Robinson, Detroit Free Press, 5 Nov. 2024
Adverb
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Scott, the old pro, knows how to give these scenes a vicious vitality that overcomes any thoughts about how the Romans supposedly got live sharks in the water.Alison Willmore, Vulture, 11 Nov. 2024
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In a race supposedly too close to call, the surprise wasn't that Trump won, which was always an obvious possibility, but how quickly the results took shape — this was supposed to take days, remember.Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 6 Nov. 2024
Adverb
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In the last few days, the intelligence agencies have issued further public notifications that—presumably as part of the same scheme—Russia was behind bogus videos falsely depicting someone in Pennsylvania ripping up ballots and Haitians illegally voting in Georgia.The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024
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The Raiders have cleaned house in terms of their offensive coaching staff, and Turner will now advise that staff presumably.James Brizuela, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Adverb
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His good friend, director Sacha Gervasi, and podcast host Rich Roll evidently think so.Peter White, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2024
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Some stations evidently weren’t happy about running the ad.Mia Sato, The Verge, 30 Oct. 2024
Adverb
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Loading your audio article Of all the overseas leaders avidly watching the U.S. election results, the two happiest were probably Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 13 Nov. 2024
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If these workers are deported, the food industry will probably have great difficulty replacing them.Paul Krugman, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near ostensibly
Cite this Entry
“Ostensibly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensibly. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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