Meaning trap
stick out
to extend outward
To come out beyond the surface or edge of something.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To come out beyond the surface or edge of something.
Another meaning of 'stick out' is 'to be very noticeable'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
There was a nail sticking out of the wall.
When I broke my arm, the bone was actually sticking out, which was really scary.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: Don't stick out your head from the window.
Say: Don't stick your head out of the window.
With a body part, the object goes in the middle: 'stick your head out'.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Stick out' is the plain verb for something projecting; 'protruding' is technical.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
stick out + body/object
- your tongue
- your head
- of the ground
- from the wall
Don't confuse it
Related
Other meanings and phrases to compare.
- stick out (to be very noticeable) — Another meaning of 'stick out' is 'to be very noticeable'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.