as in apparent
appearing to be true on the basis of evidence that may or may not be confirmed
the ostensible reason for the meeting turned out to be a trick to get him to the surprise party
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 ostensible
Komljen creates an ostensible utopia for those ostracised from urban spaces, with days now spent stewing apricots, weaving baskets, kissing rocks, and conversing with mushrooms.
—
Sonya Vseliubska, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
Unlike a mattress monster that actually feeds on people, the othered beings in Park’s second ostensible creature feature are recognizably human, even if the wider population is encouraged not to perceive them that way.
—Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2025
Watch the YouTube video above to see the incident itself, followed by CEO Andy Byron’s ostensible public statement issued over social media.
—Davia Temin, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025
These declarations cynically cloak themselves behind ostensible concerns about the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostensible
Sonya Vseliubska, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
Unlike a mattress monster that actually feeds on people, the othered beings in Park’s second ostensible creature feature are recognizably human, even if the wider population is encouraged not to perceive them that way.
—Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2025
Watch the YouTube video above to see the incident itself, followed by CEO Andy Byron’s ostensible public statement issued over social media.
—Davia Temin, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025
These declarations cynically cloak themselves behind ostensible concerns about the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ostensible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostensible
Adjective
-
Kansas City’s limitations in the running game have become apparent, exacerbated by a difficult early schedule against title contenders the Chargers and Eagles.—
Jack Magruder,
Forbes.com,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Some of those who attended the show saw its apparent message of adversity and resilience as a commentary on present times.—
Ana Karina Zatarain,
New Yorker,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The presumed reasoning behind why the film was ignored is multilayered.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
New frontiers in medical use The ability to control the metamaterial remotely makes new medical applications possible.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Sep. 2025
-
More importantly, Nvidia continues to focus on the entire data center as a single system to ensure that all potential performance bottlenecks are addressed, resulting in the highest possible performance efficiency and ROI.—
Jim McGregor,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
And a soft implant can be the best option to avoid an obvious edge.—
Megan McIntyre,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
That’s because your liver won’t give you obvious clues that say there’s a MASH up going there.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The insurer’s spokesperson declined an opportunity to clarify this seeming contradiction.—
Mario Ariza,
ProPublica,
15 Sep. 2025
-
These innocuous-seeming actions can kindle dry vegetation, potentially spawning a wildfire.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The map shows red pins representing incidents that state and federal wildlife biologists have said were confirmed or probable wolf attacks on livestock.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Gabriel Muniz Jimenez, 33, died inside his cell due to a probable drug overdose on May 21, according to a spokesman for the medical examiner's office.—
Vanessa Swales,
jsonline.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The reaction, though, of supposed country folk has puzzled me the most.—
John Vukmirovich,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
-
As Premier League spending ballooned over the £3billion mark — more than the other four main European domestic leagues combined — PSR and its supposed influence remained a constant in the background, a grim reaper bearing a calculator rather than a scythe.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ostensible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostensible. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share