STICKING OUT Synonyms: 97 Similar and Opposite Words

sticking out

verb

present participle of stick out

as in protruding

to extend outward beyond a usual point no feet sticking out in the aisles, please

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in handling

to put up with (something painful or difficult) managed to stick out the whole race despite her bad knee

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 sticking out Tamra isn’t wearing any pants to show off her Depends and the silver pubes sticking out of them. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 17 July 2026 In the summer of 2024, May found a large gold Tudor ring partly sticking out of the mud. — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 17 July 2026 First, the females bury themselves halfway in the sand with only their heads sticking out and lay their eggs. — Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 Cautillo was also carrying a disconnected lithium battery, an electric towel warmer that had wires sticking out of it, and an electric scooter with a bad sticking out of it, the statement said. — Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 9 July 2026 England jerseys were scarce on the grounds of the National World War I Museum & Memorial, sticking out in the sea of green. — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 6 July 2026 Also present in the wood panelling inside the wall is a hand sticking out of a beam. — Arushi Jacob, Variety, 3 July 2026 Today, smoke rises from piles of concrete and metal poles sticking out of a mountain of debris where the apartments once stood, in a video captured by one of the former residents and shared with the Herald. — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026 Near the middle of the group stands a pint-size teenage Vicky, pale and bleach-blond, sticking out like a sore thumb. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sticking out

Verb

While Kali’s protruding tongue is sometimes interpreted as a gesture of embarrassment or shame, the Rolling Stones’ logo reimagines it as a symbol of protest and antiestablishment sentiment.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 July 2026
Archaeologists surveying the area in 2020 came across human bones protruding from the ground.

— Allen Breed, Fortune, 17 July 2026

Definition of protruding

Verb

By the 1990s, the responsibility of handling unclaimed and unidentified bodies had shifted to the state’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which works with local funeral homes to arrange burials and cremations.

— John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 20 July 2026
The data can be collected by smartphone apps, transponders and other technology, with the apps able to detect whether a driver is handling the phone and is distracted — a leading cause of accidents along with speeding.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026

Definition of handling

Verb

Instead, her dad looks under the table and sees a jumble of limbs with Chastain’s smiling face poking out at him.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 21 July 2026
This included one of their players poking a finger into the ear of the Belgian penalty-spot protector Diego Moreira, and responding to the reactionary elbow to the tummy by going down, and staying down, on top of the penalty mark.

— Geir Jordet, New York Times, 15 July 2026

Definition of poking

Verb

About three seconds later, while the man is on the ground, a male officer standing over him appears to fire three rounds, and the man stops moving.

— Marin Scott, NBC news, 23 July 2026
While standing at the case, visitors can hear the audio of the speech where Douglass criticizes Americans celebrating freedom while millions remain enslaved.

— Kaitlyn Harvey, AJC.com, 23 July 2026

Definition of standing

Verb

Janna and Diego Escalante, his assistant standing out front tasked with introducing the carts to curious customers, gave Ash a quick tutorial on how to use the screen and enter items from her shopping list.

— Alexandra Phelps, Miami Herald, 13 July 2026
Narrative podcasts are under threat primarily because of high production costs, a shift in listener habits toward video formats, and the difficulty of standing out in a crowded market.

— Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

Definition of standing out

Verb

Keegan later moved into management, revitalizing Newcastle United and taking the club to ⁠the brink of the Premier League title in the mid-1990s before enduring a more difficult spell as England manager.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
The best thing about this tournament, though, were the fans who left an enduring image.

— Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 20 July 2026

Definition of enduring

Verb

Women who are actively seeking new employment show narrower pay gaps than those who stay, which means the ones tolerating the widest gaps are often trading fair pay for flexibility or job security.

— Kara Dennison, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
For decades, the system has demanded toughness in exactly the wrong places, tolerating dysfunctional technology, absorbing endless documentation, and compensating for broken workflows.

— Frantz M. Berthaud, STAT, 7 July 2026

Definition of tolerating

Verb

The first Black man, who had struggled throughout the climb, walked away without giving his full name after accepting Hamrick’s thanks.

— John Blake, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
The state is accepting applications for a first round of grants to be used for planning.

— Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026