stick out — to extend outward
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
To come out beyond the surface or edge of something.
Say it like a native
Textbook A nail was protruding from the plank.
Native A nail was sticking out of the plank.
'Stick out' is the plain verb for something projecting; 'protruding' is technical.
Pattern: stick out (of/from something)
In use
- There was a nail sticking out of the wall.daily life
- When I broke my arm, the bone was actually sticking out, which was really scary.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Don't stick out your head from the window.
✓ Don't stick your head out of the window.
With a body part, the object goes in the middle: 'stick your head out'.
Common collocations
stick out + body/object— your tongue, your head, of the ground, from the wall
Don't confuse it
This sense is about physical position, not about being noticeable.
Related
- stick out (to be very noticeable) — Another meaning of 'stick out' is 'to be very noticeable'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.