as in poking
to extend outward beyond a usual point
we spotted the kitten's tail protruding from beneath the dresser
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in convex
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 protruding
Sophie Ansari, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Deputy Thomas Zajac, first on the scene, found Heskett kneeling in the grass near the park’s Old Mill Trail, grasping a pocketknife protruding from his abdomen.
—Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Keta’s long layers fell on the sides of her face, while the back was noticeably teased and twisted with spiky pieces protruding out.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
About 125 million years later, paleontologist Pedro Marrecas would visit the rocky cliffs near Praia da Área do Mastro in 2016 and discover a row of teeth protruding from the stone’s surface.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
The next week, a lighthouse keeper reported seeing the masts of the King protruding from the water in the shipping lane — an important clue regarding where the King lay hidden.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
The photos showed her bones protruding, with every rib clearly defined and no fat.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
It’s presented in a treasure chest with smoke protruding as the chest opens, slowly displaying the cocktail itself as the smoke billows into the patron’s face, preparing their nostrils for the smokey aroma ahead.
—Andrew Watman, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The display bezels are super thin at the top and on both sides, with Lenovo’s protruding upper-edge notch housing the webcam and other electronics.
—Mark Coppock, PC Magazine, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
The whole setup looks like a giant creature with an extremely dense and compact body, a long, protruding neck, and an almost-cute face — a little bit like Wall-E, and a little bit like the servant-pet-robot from Red Planet that turns on Val Kilmer and tries to murder him.
—Sophie Ansari, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Per People, the report reaffirms that Greenberg, a 27-year-old Philadelphia schoolteacher, died by suicide despite sustaining 20 stab wounds to her back, neck, and head, with a knife found protruding from her chest.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Deputy Thomas Zajac, first on the scene, found Heskett kneeling in the grass near the park’s Old Mill Trail, grasping a pocketknife protruding from his abdomen.
—Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
Keta’s long layers fell on the sides of her face, while the back was noticeably teased and twisted with spiky pieces protruding out.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
About 125 million years later, paleontologist Pedro Marrecas would visit the rocky cliffs near Praia da Área do Mastro in 2016 and discover a row of teeth protruding from the stone’s surface.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
The next week, a lighthouse keeper reported seeing the masts of the King protruding from the water in the shipping lane — an important clue regarding where the King lay hidden.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
The photos showed her bones protruding, with every rib clearly defined and no fat.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
It’s presented in a treasure chest with smoke protruding as the chest opens, slowly displaying the cocktail itself as the smoke billows into the patron’s face, preparing their nostrils for the smokey aroma ahead.
—Andrew Watman, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The display bezels are super thin at the top and on both sides, with Lenovo’s protruding upper-edge notch housing the webcam and other electronics.
—Mark Coppock, PC Magazine, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protruding
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Bad Bunny has commented little, save for an SNL monologue poking fun at the situation.—
Rolling Stone,
Rolling Stone,
12 Oct. 2025
-
The bit kicked off by poking fun at the Senate hearing that took place earlier this week.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The celestial interiors are inspired by the zodiac, including a convex mirror that’s meant as a nod to both the cosmos and mythical traditions.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
4 Sep. 2025
-
In 1969, after it had been converted to apartments and the same year astronauts first landed on the moon, the old house rebuilt as a single-family home by architect Maurice Medcalfe, who conceived the smooth stucco facade punctuated by the Space Age grid of convex oval windows.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Coiling is a procedure used to block blood flow to the aneurysm, which is a weakened or bulging artery wall, John Hopkins Medicine explains.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The amphibian slip-ons, crafted in glossy green rubber with bulging eyes perched across the vamp, were first introduced at JW Anderson’s fall 2023 menswear show in Milan.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Whereas Vaslav’s unorthodox looks infatuated many people, hers (protuberant teeth and lips, stocky body, flat chest, powerful thighs) alienated many.—
Alastair Macaulay,
The New York Review of Books,
29 Dec. 2022
-
And the rear of the case is deeper to accommodate a protuberant rear camera—hinting that the next iPad will see a big camera upgrade.—
David Phelan,
Forbes,
9 Oct. 2022
Verb
-
Lopez walked the carpet in a green off-the-shoulder Harris Reed dress which featured floral designs and black structural pieces which resembled spider legs jutting out from her waist.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Above the tree line, the landscape changes completely with alpine tundra, jagged peaks jutting out in the distance, and skies that seem impossibly close.—
Abby Price,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Meters away, two humanoid robots, with bulbous joints and expressionless plastic domes for faces, stand at a desk.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
-
Then came some tops and skirts in bulbous shapes — a clear nod to the cocoon silhouette that cemented Balenciaga in fashion history — as well as textured dresses, some with exaggerated trains that billowed with each step.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The country’s declining birthrate means a shrinking workforce saddled with supporting a swelling elderly population.—
Hanako Montgomery,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Apply it for 10 minutes to numb the itch and reduce swelling.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
And at that moment, in that quiet locker room, with that swollen knee, Corbett didn’t know what to say.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Sterling Glass had many health problems as a child—swollen feet, night sweats, nausea and vomiting, unquenchable thirst, and fatigue that often left him too exhausted to go to school.—
Liz Szabo,
Scientific American,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Protruding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protruding. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share