How to Use ostensibly in a Sentence

ostensibly

adverb
Definition of ostensiblynext
Synonyms for ostensiblynext
  • This can ostensibly be solved by taking the human out of the front seat of the car.
    — Johana Bhuiyan, Recode, 17 May 2018
  • To be an ally is to step in to a fight that is ostensibly not your own.
    — Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 6 Aug. 2020
  • To me, the elves in this show that were ostensibly supposed to look scary?
    — Andy Meek, BGR, 29 Nov. 2021
  • The language of the bill seems to ostensibly target men and not women.
    — Amira Rasool, Teen Vogue, 23 Feb. 2018
  • Perhaps the most telling change of all is one ostensibly small trim.
    — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 18 Jan. 2024
  • The fact that many others saw and ostensibly were able to read the note is of no consequence.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 16 June 2021
  • The ride was ostensibly about the harms caused by air pollution.
    — Carlton Reid, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2021
  • The other came out a month ago, but does, ostensibly, go up in the club.
    — Billboard Staff, Billboard, 12 Nov. 2019
  • This is one side of the pressure inside her mind, the one that can ostensibly drag her down.
    — oregonlive, 6 July 2021
  • These views chafe with a recent flood of ostensibly good news.
    — Time, 25 Apr. 2018
  • The caliber of play in the new league, ostensibly, will be higher.
    — Matt Porter, BostonGlobe.com, 1 July 2023
  • The parking lot was bordered with a black iron fence ostensibly to keep out crime.
    — Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, 16 Apr. 2018
  • The public ostensibly comes for free fried fish on white bread, but the main course is the politics.
    — Robin Givhan, BostonGlobe.com, 27 June 2019
  • The series, ostensibly based on the book, is something else.
    — Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 26 Apr. 2021
  • Stephens ostensibly will be given a chance to stick in the rotation.
    — Zach Buchanan, Cincinnati.com, 29 June 2017
  • The rule was ostensibly to keep the field of competition clean and level.
    — Laine Higgins, WSJ, 3 Aug. 2021
  • Brown has not practiced with the Raiders in more than a week, ostensibly due to a foot ailment.
    — Matt Kawahara, SFChronicle.com, 9 Aug. 2019
  • The reason for this year’s ban was ostensibly public health again.
    — Vivian Wang, New York Times, 4 June 2021
  • The band will ostensibly be on tour in support of their new album, which drops in April.
    — oregonlive, 23 Jan. 2023
  • Echo Auto is a way to ostensibly put Alexa in your car by ...
    — Eric Johnson, Recode, 24 Dec. 2018
  • My show was ostensibly about meeting someone to achieve that goal.
    — Serena Kerrigan, refinery29.com, 21 Dec. 2020
  • The class disdain comes from elites who ostensibly have an ideology from the left.
    — WSJ, 2 Mar. 2022
  • That's a good thing, as the roster is still very young and ostensibly still ascending.
    — Stephanie Stradley, Houston Chronicle, 6 Sep. 2019
  • Some of the exits were sealed off, ostensibly to keep fans from flooding the stadium.
    — Dera Menra Sijabat, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2022
  • This was no small thing for a man who's played what are ostensibly some of the world's best parties -- but the fun didn't last.
    — Katie Bain, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2021
  • Another issue is whom to target with a court order that ostensibly tries to block the law.
    — Mark Sherman, Chron, 10 Dec. 2021
  • Hill is still around, still adapting, even if the reasons why have ostensibly changed.
    — Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 28 June 2023
  • That means more time — ostensibly — to sit at home and watch Netflix.
    — Rebecca Farley, refinery29.com, 23 May 2018
  • What was ostensibly meant to be a temporary measure lasted for more than a decade.
    — Mary Sollosi, EW.com, 12 Nov. 2021
  • The Rams went into the locker room at halftime and ostensibly talked about how to put those plays behind.
    — Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2021

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ostensibly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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