as in apparently
to all outward appearances
ostensibly a university student studying abroad, he was actually an espionage agent
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ostensibly
The court’s ruling in Trump v. CASA in late June ostensibly was not about the long-standing practice of birthright citizenship itself.
—
Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2025
By the autumn of 1967, POP was closed – ostensibly for repairs but in fact for good.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2025
Then there are the firms creating the AI tools themselves — the ones other businesses are ostensibly looking to purchase and deploy to automate their workforces.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 4 July 2025
While speculation is already underway about which films will ostensibly launch their awards campaigns during the upcoming fall film festivals, here’s something worth remembering: the last four Best Picture winners all, quite notably, premiered before a fall festival run.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 6 July 2025
By the autumn of 1967, POP was closed – ostensibly for repairs but in fact for good.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2025
Then there are the firms creating the AI tools themselves — the ones other businesses are ostensibly looking to purchase and deploy to automate their workforces.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 4 July 2025
While speculation is already underway about which films will ostensibly launch their awards campaigns during the upcoming fall film festivals, here’s something worth remembering: the last four Best Picture winners all, quite notably, premiered before a fall festival run.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostensibly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensibly
Adverb
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The tour cancellation apparently led to financial issues with his then-manager Scooter Braun, who allegedly helped Bieber cover the more than $20 million that the singer owed to the tour’s promoter, AEG Presents.—
Matthew Strauss,
Pitchfork,
11 July 2025
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Inviting Cooper to join Superman was apparently a low-key affair, as Gunn recalled on Jake’s Takes.—
Jack Smart,
People.com,
11 July 2025
Adverb
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Address: Livadia Bay, Antiparos 840 07, Greece This luxury beach resort took the idea of bohemian design and went all-in—there’s a woven pendant light or bamboo furniture item seemingly around every corner.—
Monica Mendal,
Vogue,
15 July 2025
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The verse also seemingly mocks Pusha’s age and hints at the drama swirling in the media—particularly surrounding TMZ coverage.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
14 July 2025
Adverb
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This year’s tournament in south-west London has seen other uses of the supposedly dark arts.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
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What the Oura tracks The Gen 3 and Gen 4 Oura Rings track the same core metrics—the Gen 4 just offers a sleeker design, longer battery life, and (supposedly) improved sensor accuracy and overall functionality.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
8 July 2025
Adverb
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That won't do for a coach making nearly $9 million per year, and an incoming AD presumably won't have the same patience for more of the same that Castiglione might have.—
Chase Goodbread,
The Tennessean,
10 July 2025
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This fact alone tells us that interstellar objects were being produced relatively early in the lifetime of the galaxy, presumably along with exoplanetary systems.—
Darryl Seligman,
Space.com,
10 July 2025
Adverb
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Those are no doubt All-Star caliber numbers to most, but evidently not good for the folks that make the decisions on All-Star Game replacements.—
Andrew Wright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
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The veteran actor played NYPD Commissioner - and Danny's father - Frank Reagan, but the team behind Boston Blue evidently wanted to explore the younger branches of the Reagan family tree.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
10 July 2025
Adverb
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The most favorable states probably are South Dakota, Nevada, Alaska, and Delaware, but don’t rule out others.—
Bob Carlson,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
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Teff is probably best known as the core ingredient in injera, Ethiopia’s iconic spongy bread, but the grain also has plenty of other uses.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ostensibly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensibly. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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