PROTRUSION Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Some common synonyms of protrusion are bulge , projection , and protuberance . While all these words mean "an extension beyond the normal line or surface," protrusion suggests a thrusting out so that the extension seems a deformity. // the bizarre protrusions of a coral reef

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

The meanings of bulge and protrusion largely overlap; however, bulge suggests an expansion caused by internal pressure. // bulges in the tile floor

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

The synonyms projection and protrusion are sometimes interchangeable, but projection implies a jutting out especially at a sharp angle. // those projections along the wall are safety hazards

Q: When would 'protuberance' be a good substitute for 'protrusion'?

The words protuberance and protrusion can be used in similar contexts, but protuberance implies a growing or swelling out in rounded form. // a skin disease marked by warty protuberances

protrusion

noun

prō-ˈtrü-zhən

Definition of protrusion next

as in projection

a part that sticks out from the general mass of something the bizarrely shaped protrusions of a coral reef

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Some common synonyms of protrusion are bulge, projection, and protuberance. While all these words mean "an extension beyond the normal line or surface," protrusion suggests a thrusting out so that the extension seems a deformity.

the bizarre protrusions of a coral reef

When is it sensible to use bulge instead of protrusion?

The meanings of bulge and protrusion largely overlap; however, bulge suggests an expansion caused by internal pressure.

bulges in the tile floor

When is projection a more appropriate choice than protrusion?

The synonyms projection and protrusion are sometimes interchangeable, but projection implies a jutting out especially at a sharp angle.

those projections along the wall are safety hazards

When would protuberance be a good substitute for protrusion?

The words protuberance and protrusion can be used in similar contexts, but 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 protrusion Avoid rolling over any knobby bits or boney protrusions, since that’s often where sensitive connective tissue anchors and nerves hide, too. —

Hayden Carpenter, Outside Online, 19 Nov. 2024 The Cybertruck’s hood would also need to flex, and there should be no protrusions to gain a good NCAP pedestrian safety score. —

Carlton Reid, WIRED, 15 Oct. 2024 The melon is a protrusion on a beluga’s forehead, made up of fatty tissue and muscle. —

Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 13 Dec. 2024 The precisely contoured shell shape provides a very close fit through the instep, ankles, and heel, but with enough curvature to encompass—rather than crush—bony protrusions. —

Outside Editors, Outside Online, 11 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for protrusion

Recent Examples of Synonyms for protrusion

Noun

There are many reasons to be cautious about these projections.

— Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 3 Feb. 2025
In October, Honeywell said all four of its operating segments — aerospace technologies, industrial automation, building automation, and energy and sustainability solutions — should see organic growth this year, so hope to hear a reiteration of that projection.

— Matthew J. Belvedere,Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 2 Feb. 2025