as in seemingly
to all outward appearances
the lake's putatively pristine water is actually crawling with microorganisms that can wreak havoc with your gastrointestinal system
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Recent Examples of putatively
From the perspective of a world of increasingly unimaginable maldistribution of resources, cascading ecological collapse, a genocide cheered on by a putatively liberal order, both are barbarisms.
—
Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putatively
Adverb
-
After that, Johnson was seemingly out of the jam, but the pop-up dropped and two more runs scored.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In Tennessee, bills moving through the legislature would allow public schools to refuse to enroll undocumented students, seemingly in violation of Plyer.—
Jenni Fink,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Berseth did not respond to a phone message or to an email or letter sent to addresses apparently associated with her.—
David Hilzenrath,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
But, as has been widely discussed, putting US boots on the ground would carry enormous risks, not least because possible ground operations have been telegraphed by Washington for weeks, while apparently unprepared US forces scattered across the world have been slowly amassed.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Our military bases in the region, Margaret, right now are supposedly uninhabitable.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
In Huerta’s case, critics just don’t buy how someone who carried Chávez’s torch decades after his death could all of a sudden supposedly turn on him.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Many of the biblical references, including the rider of the pale horse, come from the Book of Revelation, the final book of the New Testament, which is ostensibly about the second coming of Christ and judgment day.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
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But ostensibly obvious fixes like individualized artist profiles and two-factor authentication are complicated by the variety of distribution services available.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Markström, evidently unhappy at Shesterkin pushing Cotter, skated down the ice and asked Shesterkin to fight.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Zuck evidently can’t grow a beard, but Ezra Klein and Senator Chris Murphy have.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
So why was The Testaments the project to lead to her largest acting role — and, presumably, press circuit — in years?—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Mar. 2026
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The musicians presumably had to rely heavily on loops in order to finish their tracks before the buzzer went off, and something is always slamming, scratching, or puttering away in the background.—
Daniel Bromfield,
Pitchfork,
30 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
Adams, who did not answer my e-mails—an alpha move, no doubt—would probably have been proud.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The pregnancy storyline this season is probably the most mature one the show’s had so far.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
2 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Those furnishing a guest room or dorm would likely find a twin XL best suited for the space, and small children should do just fine with a twin mattress.—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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The remains were found partially covered in sediment, and their position on a sediment pile suggests intentional placement, likely as part of a ritual funerary practice.—
Ryan Brennan
April 4,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Putatively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putatively. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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