as in snout
the part of the face bearing the nostrils and nasal cavity
if there were a direct relation between mendacity and the length of one's proboscis, hers would be a mile long
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Recent Examples of proboscis
This practice evolved into Cootie, the game in which kids assemble plastic insects with fiddlehead-fern-like proboscises, which was introduced nationwide in 1949 and is still manufactured today.
—
Bruce Handy, The Atlantic, 16 Apr. 2025
In the center of the contraption, a PVC pipe hung down and curled under itself like a great proboscis.
—Matthew Sherrill, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
However, its blood-sucking attempts are thwarted because its proboscis — aka its needle-like mouth — could not break through the skin.
—Abby Monteil, Them, 8 Oct. 2024
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the sweet trigger caused the simulation to send signals that would extend the proboscis, and the bitter one didn’t.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for proboscis
Bruce Handy, The Atlantic, 16 Apr. 2025
In the center of the contraption, a PVC pipe hung down and curled under itself like a great proboscis.
—Matthew Sherrill, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
However, its blood-sucking attempts are thwarted because its proboscis — aka its needle-like mouth — could not break through the skin.
—Abby Monteil, Them, 8 Oct. 2024
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the sweet trigger caused the simulation to send signals that would extend the proboscis, and the bitter one didn’t.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for proboscis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proboscis
Noun
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Pterosaurs were prehistoric predators that dominated the skies with pointed snouts that could catch prey on the move or from the water, according to National Geographic.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
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The clip, filmed from a few feet away, shows the saxophone player continuing unfazed as the Dalmatian raises its snout and vocalizes in rhythm.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Then my nose, feeling air go in and out and smelling the aroma of my room.—
Jack Korngold,
Rolling Stone,
28 Sep. 2025
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But even though breathing through your nose is better than breathing through your mouth, taping your mouth shut isn’t the best way to fix the issue.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
27 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Proboscis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proboscis. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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