PROJECTION Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'projection' different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of projection are bulge , protrusion , and protuberance . While all these words mean "an extension beyond the normal line or surface," projection implies a jutting out especially at a sharp angle. // those projections along the wall are safety hazards

Q: When is it sensible to use 'bulge' instead of 'projection'?

The synonyms bulge and projection are sometimes interchangeable, but bulge suggests an expansion caused by internal pressure. // bulges in the tile floor

Q: When is 'protrusion' a more appropriate choice than 'projection'?

The words protrusion and projection can be used in similar contexts, but protrusion suggests a thrusting out so that the extension seems a deformity. // the bizarre protrusions of a coral reef

Q: Where would 'protuberance' be a reasonable alternative to 'projection'?

The words protuberance and projection are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, protuberance implies a growing or swelling out in rounded form. // a skin disease marked by warty protuberances

projection

noun

prə-ˈjek-shən

Definition of projection

as in dome

a part that sticks out from the general mass of something filed down all the projections until the surface was smooth

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Some common synonyms of projection are bulge, protrusion, and protuberance. While all these words mean "an extension beyond the normal line or surface," projection implies a jutting out especially at a sharp angle.

those projections along the wall are safety hazards

When is it sensible to use bulge instead of projection?

The synonyms bulge and projection are sometimes interchangeable, but bulge suggests an expansion caused by internal pressure.

bulges in the tile floor

When is protrusion a more appropriate choice than projection?

The words protrusion and projection can be used in similar contexts, but protrusion suggests a thrusting out so that the extension seems a deformity.

the bizarre protrusions of a coral reef

Where would protuberance be a reasonable alternative to projection?

The words protuberance and projection are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 projection In the mid-two-thousands, as Hollywood transitioned to digital filmmaking, IMAX began building and repurposing theatres across the country, outfitting them with digital-projection systems and slightly smaller, but still huge, screens. — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 22 July 2026 The podcast industry is no longer niche, with projections exceeding $130 billion by 2030 and 55% of Americans now listening monthly. — Chelsea Tobin, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 Fidelity’s report is based on data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, including projections for future costs, as well as data on how retirees are spending now, according to Lloyd-Williams. — Lorie Konish, CNBC, 22 July 2026 Some of those fees include future work that lawyers will do to distribute funds, and some authors argued that lawyers’ projections for time spent were alarmingly inflated. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for projection

Recent Examples of Synonyms for projection

Noun

The outdoor swimming pool and loungers overlook the surrounding countryside, and the sauna in a traditional dome is ideal for aching legs.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 July 2026
The moist air was also producing other volatility around the top of the heat dome, including the risk of severe thunderstorms, flash flooding and hail around the Great Lakes on Sunday.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 July 2026

Definition of dome

Noun

Whether driven by admiration or nostalgia for his first spell, the club’s fans flooded the comments section welcoming back their hero.

— Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 24 July 2026
All of these tariffs are being instituted using a variety of different statutes, known by three-digit numbers - 122, 338, 232, 301 - for the sections of laws being invoked.

— Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR, 24 July 2026

Definition of section

Noun

With a spotlight on youth sports nationwide, many young athletes forge their identity around sports and dedicate a large portion of their free time to improvement.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 July 2026
While the details have not been made public, the deal negotiated by Morales and Webb reportedly would have allowed PortMiami to pay a portion of the acquisition price over a decade or more.

— Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 28 July 2026

Definition of portion

Noun

Burls are sound, hard, woody swellings or protrusions that form on the trunks, branches, or roots of trees.

— Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026
Visitors may have noticed that Odorysseus’ spadix — the conic protrusion emerging upward from the plant — was much taller than Odora’s, which had caved in.

— Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026

Definition of protrusion

Noun

Today, convexity, which can be more expensive, is used earlier and some experts recommend a convexity-first approach after ostomy surgery.

— Diego Schaps, STAT, 1 Apr. 2026
The tower flaunts its partnership with the Dime Savings Bank, sending the 1908 landmark’s geometrical exuberance rocketing upward in a play of convexities and concavities, glass and trim, darkness and gleam.

— Justin Davidson, Curbed, 28 Jan. 2026

Definition of convexity

Noun

As does the Buddha’s Hand, a pulp-less lemon with fragrant, yellowy finger-like protuberances best for zesting, candying, and making infusions for teas, simple syrups, marinades, and libations.

— Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2026
Described as bright green with small protuberances on its back, the frog belongs to the Gastrotheca genus, a group of marsupial frogs found in Central and South America.

— Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 5 Apr. 2026

Definition of protuberance

Noun

The home faces south so the porch to avoid heating up the house, and is also shaded by a generous overhang.

— Jennifer Castenson, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Some build nests underground in grassy areas or dense vegetation, while others look for openings in trees, wall voids, eaves, and roof overhangs, says Jim McHale, president of JP McHale Pest Management.

— Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 19 July 2026

Definition of overhang

Noun

Porzingis has become a dependable plug-and-play complementary piece around star players, including his 2024 NBA title run with the Boston Celtics.

— Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Adding another employee, buying a new piece of equipment, or expanding into a larger space all become harder when the tax code penalizes those investments.

— Kent Strang, Boston Herald, 26 July 2026

Definition of piece

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projecting

projection

projections

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“Projection.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/projection. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

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