stick/stand out like a sore thumb

idiom

informal

: to be very noticeable in usually a bad way

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Though sometimes pieces like this can stick out like a sore thumb, the use of lighter materials like white-coated steel and unfinished wood creates less contrast against a standard white door. —Quincy Bulin, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Jan. 2023

What the quarterback didn’t want to happen in his return was to stick out like a sore thumb. —Dallas News, 24 Oct. 2022

When an artist records with me, everything about the song has to stick out like a sore thumb — hooks, bars, concepts. —A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 10 Apr. 2022

While most air purifiers are clunky, this one has a sleek, modern design that won’t stick out like a sore thumb in a living room or bedroom. —Amanda Lauren, Forbes, 31 Jan. 2022

The game uses low-polygon models for Pokémon that are farther away from you, but often (as with Tangela here) those models are visible from close up and stick out like a sore thumb. —Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 26 Jan. 2022

However, researchers have since pointed out that Shipman’s murderous tendencies stick out like a sore thumb if they are viewed through the lens of statistics. —The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 24 Sep. 2021

Over time, though, certain aspects of the industry started to stick out like a sore thumb. —Kaleigh Fasanella, Harper's BAZAAR, 3 May 2021

In order to fit in better and not stick out like a sore thumb, some immigrants reject their heritage to adopt the values and lifestyles of the dominant society. —New York Times, 7 Aug. 2020

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