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 The office stressed that the estimate was not a projection of the Pentagon’s actual Golden Dome plan because the department had not released sufficient details about its intended architecture. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026 Last Thursday, Google parent Alphabet’s stock cratered 7% after the company raised its capital-expenditure projections for the year and reported negative free cash flow in its second quarter. — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 27 July 2026 Team-building, though, can’t only be science based on projection systems and playoff probabilities. — Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 27 July 2026 The surge brought the year-to-date franchise revenue to $66,456, officially eclipsing the city's conservative $55,000 annual projection just six months into the fiscal year. — Randy Moll, Arkansas Online, 26 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for projection

Recent Examples of Synonyms for projection

Noun

Southern California will be able to cool off as the heat dome moves further away.

— Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 30 July 2026
The heat dome responsible for this heat wave may also set records for its intensity in parts of Southern California and Arizona.

— Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 30 July 2026

Definition of dome

Noun

Garwood, a supervisory civil engineer in the stormwater section of Overland Park’s Public Works Department, was conducting the city’s regular inspection of the South Park Lake dam.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
The live chat will take place in the comments section below on site and in the PEOPLE App.

— Lindsay Kimble, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026

Definition of section

Noun

James' decision to run for governor left open his seat in the 10th District, which includes a portion of Oakland County and stretches across conservative communities in Macomb County.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
Temperatures reached at least 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) for five consecutive days in some areas in late July, the country’s longest such streak on record, and heatstroke alerts have repeatedly covered large portions of the country.

— Yumi Asada, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 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

Hong Kong is enjoying a listings revival, the CSRC's blessing removes the regulatory overhang that killed London, and the exchange's investor base needs no tutorial on Chinese supply chains.

— Drew Bernstein, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Lightly coat a 13- x 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray; line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on long sides; set aside.

— Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 26 July 2026

Definition of overhang

Noun

The other great piece of news is that, yes, this will get a localized release with multiple language support, something that the original PlayStation Portable version never had.

— Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
High above Cherry Creek in Castlewood Canyon State Park, a concrete arch bridge has carried travelers, and a piece of Colorado history, for more than 75 years.

— Karen Leigh, CBS News, 1 Aug. 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 5 Aug. 2026.

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