two-to-one, Inf dollars to doughnuts; all things considered, for all practical purposes, to all intents and purposes; possibly, perhaps, maybe, Archaic, belike; soundly, rationally, dependably, reliably.
2. credibly, believably, conceivably, plausibly; reasonably, logically, feasibly, viably, tenably.
3. apparently, ostensibly, seemingly, supposedly, allegedly; on the first impression, by all appearances, superficially, externally, as far as can be seen.
probation, n. 1. test, essay; trial, Inf. tryout, Inf. workout; experiment, test run, dry run, Inf. pilot.
2. trial period, test or testing period, probationer, n. novice, novitiate, abecedarian, catechumen; postulant; candidate, aspirant, probe, v. 1. investigate, look into, Inf. check out; scrutinize, study, examine thoroughly, go over step by step, go deep into, perscrutate, Obs., Rare, perscrute.
2. explore, poke around, feel around, SI. nose around; question, ask questions, query; sound out, feel out, feel the pulse, send up a trial balloon, put or throw out a feeler, see which way the wind blows, see how the land lies.
-n. 3. investigation, examination, study; scrutiny, close inquiry, careful search, exhaustive study, per-scrutation; exploration.
4. inquiry, inquest; feeler, pilot balloon, trial balloon, Fr. ballon d'essai.
probity, n. honesty, uprightness, upstandingness, rectitude; integrity, virtue, principle, scruples, conscientiousness; justice, justness, fairness, open-mindedness, freedom from bias or prejudice; honor, goodness, decency, sense of decency, morality, moral fiber; straightness, squareness, square dealing, plain dealing, square shooting, straight shooting; truthfulness, veracity, veraciousness, truth-telling, truth-speaking, truth-loving, truth-dealing.
problem, n. 1. question, vexed question, knot, knotty point, stickler; moot point, bone of contention, point at issue, subject of dispute.
2. enigma, puzzle, riddle, conundrum, mystery, question mark, Chinese puzzle; puzzler, poser, teaser, Inf brain-teaser, Inf hard nut to crack, Inf mind-boggier, Inf stumper, Inf floorer; maze, labyrinth, tangle, intricacy; secret, arcanum, closed or sealed book; oracle, dark saying, obscure statement, hidden meaning, riddle of the sphinx.
3. dilemma, quandary, predicament, plight, sorry plight, Inf pickle, Inf pretty pickle, Inf fine kettle of fish, Inf. fine how-do-you-do; complication, mess, imbroglio, stew, hornet's nest, Pandora's box, Inf can of worms; difficulty, trouble, affliction; inconvenience, disadvantage, handicap.
4. nuisance, pest, bother, Inf headache, Inf pain, SI. pain in the neck or rear, SI. hassle, vexation, annoyance.
-adj. 5. unmanageable, ungovernable, uncontrollable; unruly, restive, obstreperous; intractable, refractory, recalcitrant, contumacious; incorrigible, problematic, adj. doubtful, dubious, open to doubt, questionable, unconvincing, Inf thin or a bit thin, problematical; debatable, disputable, arguable, contestable, controvertible, controversial, moot; implausible, untenable, hard or difficult to believe, Inf. hard to swallow; suspicious, suspect, in doubt, in question, in dispute; uncertain, unsure, unreliable, undependable, not to be relied or depended on or upon, untrustworthy, precarious; ambiguous, vague, indeterminate, indefinite; unsettled, undecided, undetermined, unestablished; open, up in the air, in the balance, in suspense.