Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of protuberance are bulge, projection, and protrusion. While all these words mean "an extension beyond the normal line or surface," protuberance implies a growing or swelling out in rounded form.

a skin disease marked by warty protuberances

When is bulge a more appropriate choice than protuberance?

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

bulges in the tile floor

When could projection be used to replace protuberance?

In some situations, the words projection and protuberance are roughly equivalent. However, projection implies a jutting out especially at a sharp angle.

those projections along the wall are safety hazards

In what contexts can protrusion take the place of protuberance?

The words protrusion and protuberance are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, protrusion suggests a thrusting out so that the extension seems a deformity.

the bizarre protrusions of a coral reef

Examples 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 protuberance When Kahan threw the typically upbeat floral protuberance, Tango obligingly chased after it just like a real dog would. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2024 But mechanical gimbals are not exactly aerodynamic—one example is that massive protuberance on the nose of Predator drones. IEEE Spectrum, 30 Nov. 2011 Many of these species are brightly colored and have protuberances and stinging hairs known as setae, that can cause a rash to humans that touch them. Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 2 Oct. 2023 From above, the appendages look like the protuberances of an amoeba. Victoria Sayo Turner, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Sep. 2023 See all Example Sentences for protuberance 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protuberance
Noun
  • Rounding out the team before spring training — and getting closer to the 90-win projections that Cubs manager Craig Counsell talked about last September — will likely involve adding another starting pitcher, more bullpen options and an infielder.
    Patrick Mooney, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
  • The projection suggests that humanity is far from meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement and raises new concerns about the progress of climate change.
    Fernanda González, WIRED, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Lenovo developed a rectangular protrusion on the laptop’s base to make room for new vapor chambers connected to two spinning fans inside, situated over the processor.
    Joe Osborne, PCMAG, 7 Jan. 2025
  • 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
Noun
  • Fallon also makes a saucy joke about the bulge in his workout shorts ,as he's seen pulling out a dove that flies away.
    Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 9 Jan. 2025
  • After this process, those disks would bulge or depress in response to a magnetic field.
    Ars Technica, Ars Technica, 27 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • In the same section just 18 rows down, one available ticket costs $200.
    Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 10 Jan. 2025
  • An analysis of satellite images by Microsoft offered a glimpse of the devastation in one section of Pacific Palisades, a wealthy neighborhood between Malibu and Santa Monica.
    Leanne Abraham, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Notre Dame and its renowned symbols — the golden helmets to match the dome atop the Main Building on campus, the Touchdown Jesus mural overlooking the football stadium — are recognizable worldwide.
    Ralph D. Russo, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
  • Tropicana’s dome has always shielded the Rays from Florida’s high heat and relentless rain, the latter of which could wreak havoc on an MLB schedule that’s already undergone changes to accommodate the team’s relocation.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • When the loss function has a convenient mathematical property called convexity, this procedure is guaranteed to find the optimal solution.
    Zachary C. Lipton, IEEE Spectrum, 26 Jan. 2016
  • Even more interesting is the fact that Noctua is issuing three variants of the cooler with variations in the convexity of the cold plate: a normal, a high-convexity, and a low-convexity model.
    PCMAG, PCMAG, 10 June 2024
Noun
  • As professional golf continues to alter the game in an effort to appease players, partners and patrons, time will tell if these changes actually grow the game, which has witnessed a significant swell in amateur participation since the Covid-19 pandemic.
    Michael LoRé, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
  • Society The Same War Karen Connelly The acquittal of the man who stood trial for the murder of Cindy Gladue inspired a swell of voices calling for change.
    hazlitt.net, hazlitt.net, 4 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Outside, broad overhangs and a covered sitting area offer protection from sun and rain.
    Roxana Popescu, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025
  • The latter, designed by Albert Frey, opened in 1965 as an Enco gas station with its dramatic triangular overhang protecting the pumps from the heat.
    Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 24 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near protuberance

Cite this Entry

“Protuberance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protuberance. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

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