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
Half a dozen of the boldest ones took it upon themselves to defy the steward and the matron, and to circumvent the gatehouse guards, who were ostensibly there to prevent undesirable visitors.
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Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
Behind the scenes: By law, property-wealthy districts like Austin must send hundreds of millions of dollars annually to the state, ostensibly to be redistributed to poorer areas.
—Asher Price, Axios, 9 Dec. 2024
That irregular rhythmic sequence, together with the instability of Malone’s ostensibly simple harmonies, generates stealthily accumulating tension.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
The app can ostensibly generate any image, but ads and algorithms favor pretty girls.
—Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ostensibly 
Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
Behind the scenes: By law, property-wealthy districts like Austin must send hundreds of millions of dollars annually to the state, ostensibly to be redistributed to poorer areas.
—Asher Price, Axios, 9 Dec. 2024
That irregular rhythmic sequence, together with the instability of Malone’s ostensibly simple harmonies, generates stealthily accumulating tension.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
The app can ostensibly generate any image, but ads and algorithms favor pretty girls.
—Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ostensibly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensibly
Adverb
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But he was sidelined with a groin injury late in training camp and apparently returned too soon, aggravating the injury in Week 2 and then being held out until Week 9.Phil Rogers, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
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Most notably because social media doesn’t have time to wait for answers on how a seemingly privileged, apparently not-quite-conservative-not-quite-liberal tech bro could have allegedly come to murder a top executive.Kara Alaimo, TIME, 13 Dec. 2024
Adverb
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Instead, as the sun goes down, the crowd gazes out over the ocean where a pair of red lips suddenly seemingly appears out of nowhere.Caroline Reid, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
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Maryland running back Roman Hemby entered the transfer portal Monday, his agent Shawn O’Gorman confirmed to The Baltimore Sun, seemingly ending his tenure as the team’s starter for the past three years.Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 17 Dec. 2024
Adverb
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The stagnation that has supposedly plagued U.S. ties with Latin America in recent years may have had less to do with a lack of bandwidth or ambition in Washington than some believe.Brian Winter, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
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Clark also addressed the supposedly taunting gesture Reese made to her during a game, which was cited as evidence of their beef.Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 10 Dec. 2024
Adverb
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Whether that sort of pitch still works in the portal era, during which players presumably are seeking name, image and license payouts more than a tradition of glory, remains to be seen.Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
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That effort was documented by his wife, Kailey Willis, who recorded herself kneeling on the bathroom floor, presumably near the toilet.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
Adverb
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But the lack of composure and control, and the nerves that so evidently now riddle this team, are remarkable to watch given the level of talent and experience still at Guardiola’s disposal.Matias Grez, CNN, 12 Dec. 2024
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Actress Christina Applegate has been open about her struggles with multiple sclerosis, which she was diagnosed with back in 2021 — but evidently, her symptoms had already been present two years prior.Alex Gonzalez, SPIN, 10 Dec. 2024
Adverb
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My Method Actor, Nilüfer Yanya If Nilüfer Yanya decided to put down her guitar and pursue a career as a vocalist, most of her fans probably wouldn’t protest.Stephen Kearse, TIME, 8 Dec. 2024
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The Facebook claim probably comes from a March report in The Washington Post that found the program’s slow rollout meant only seven charging stations had been completed.Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu, Austin American-Statesman, 8 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near ostensibly
Cite this Entry
“Ostensibly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensibly. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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