Synonym Chooser

How is the word protrusion different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of protrusion are bulge, projection, and protuberance. While all these words mean "an extension beyond the normal line or surface," protrusion suggests a thrusting out so that the extension seems a deformity.

the bizarre protrusions of a coral reef

When is it sensible to use bulge instead of protrusion?

The meanings of bulge and protrusion largely overlap; however, bulge suggests an expansion caused by internal pressure.

bulges in the tile floor

When is projection a more appropriate choice than protrusion?

The synonyms projection and protrusion are sometimes interchangeable, but projection implies a jutting out especially at a sharp angle.

those projections along the wall are safety hazards

When would protuberance be a good substitute for protrusion?

The words protuberance and protrusion can be used in similar contexts, but protuberance implies a growing or swelling out in rounded form.

a skin disease marked by warty protuberances

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 protrusion Advertisement In other cases, however, the protrusions can affect the rabbits’ eyes and mouth, preventing them from being able to eat, drink, or see clearly. Angela Haupt, Time, 14 Aug. 2025 Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images What To Know Locals have described the growths as scabby patches with black, toothpick-like or quill-like protrusions around the mouth and face of cottontail rabbits spotted in yards and parks in Fort Collins, according to the WFSB report. Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Aug. 2025 Hernias are protrusions of internal organs through the muscle wall that may require surgery for repair. Cristina Mutchler, Health, 18 July 2025 These cells are narrow and have short microvilli, finger-like protrusions on the surface of some cells. Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for protrusion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protrusion
Noun
  • That type of context won’t be explicitly included in a projection like this.
    Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
  • How reliable are long-term population projections, and what are the main uncertainties that could change the outlook?
    Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In the far distance lies the Pacific Ocean, and beyond that, featureless protuberances labeled Japan, Russia and China.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Above the central display is a ventilative protuberance sporting a pair of menacing ambient lights.
    Brett Berk, Robb Report, 19 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Why Nations Care About Longevity Japan’s aging costs, Europe’s silver wave, China’s shrinking workforce, America’s senior tipping point, and Saudi Arabia’s youth bulge all explain why longevity has moved from science experiment to state strategy.
    Sindhya Valloppillil, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Nonic or English pint glasses are of a similar shape but with a bulge an inch or so from the top.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Construction in the section of Jackson Park, often described as Chicago’s equivalent of Central Park, has been slow.
    Christine Valora, The Washington Examiner, 28 Sep. 2025
  • The book is divided into three sections, and each one begins with a character or characters finding a new house, and attaching so much hope to it.
    Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Marriott said the brand plans to expand the Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy to include properties that feature cabins, yurts, domes, eco-lodges, and more.
    AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 30 Sep. 2025
  • While many dome houses are DIY, somewhat hippie-ish affairs, the one at 83 May Hill Road, in Ghent, New York, is a high-end modern home that still shares many of the ecoconscious principles of its handmade counterparts.
    Kim Velsey, Curbed, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • And while other passive homes from the ’80s and ’90s were often flooded with light, reducing their efficiency, or involved complicated manual shading and cooling features, here the dome’s overhang blocks direct light, so the interiors are bright but don’t bake in the sun.
    Kim Velsey, Curbed, 30 Sep. 2025
  • This lifts an overhang from a deeply out-of-favor and cheap-seeming group.
    Michael Santoli, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Even more interesting is the fact that Noctua is issuing three variants of the cooler with variations in the convexity of the cold plate: a normal, a high-convexity, and a low-convexity model.
    PCMAG, PCMAG, 10 June 2024
  • Exploiting mispricing in the 21st century will depend more on understanding the convexity of outcomes not yet visible.
    Jeff Henriksen, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2021
Noun
  • With high traffic roadways running over many portions of the creek, having ample eyes on the area is a beneficial first step.
    Madison Beveridge, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
  • On the reading portion of the exam, nearly a quarter of MPS students met or exceeded grade-level benchmarks in reading, while about 73% scored below expectations.
    Kayla Huynh, jsonline.com, 25 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Protrusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protrusion. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

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