How to Use metatarsal in a Sentence

metatarsal

1 of 2 adjective
  • Their metatarsal bones were bunched together rather than splayed out.
    — Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 5 Oct. 2010
  • The surgery was meant to repair the fifth metatarsal bone in Bland’s foot.
    — Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 13 Jan. 2026
  • The metatarsal bones are one to five, middle joints numbered from big toe on out.
    — Marc Bona, cleveland, 18 Aug. 2020
  • The injury is caused when one or more of the metatarsal bones in one's toes becomes detached from the tarsal bones in the foot.
    — Andrew Lopez, NOLA.com, 27 Mar. 2018
  • Warner had suffered a lisfranc injury, where one or more of the metatarsal bones were displaced from the tarsus.
    — John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Nov. 2020
  • In the fourth toe, the metatarsal head was domed just like a modern human’s, but other aspects of the shape of the bone looked more ape-like.
    — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, 15 Aug. 2018
  • In daily life, wear a wider, high-cushion shoe with a rockered sole to remove some of the impact and stress to the metatarsal bones and joints.
    — Outside Online, 17 June 2019
  • Wide-footed runners might chafe at the overlays, which wrap directly over the metatarsal bones, while those with narrow feet will be cranking hard on the laces.
    — Justin Nyberg, Outside Online, 14 May 2015
  • United expect Yoro to miss three months with a metatarsal fracture and Hojlund six weeks with a hamstring issue.
    — James McNicholas, The Athletic, 5 Aug. 2024
  • The front segments of each chain replicate the phalanges (toe bones) while the segments behind them replicate the metatarsal bones (which run from the base of each toe back to the heel).
    — Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 12 July 2024
  • Manager Dave Roberts said the right-hander suffered a metatarsal injury and won't be ready for the start of the regular season.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Using toe spacers or metatarsal pads may also alleviate discomfort.
    — Sarah Fielding, Health.com, 20 Sep. 2021
  • Providing both arch and metatarsal support, the insole is made of premium polyurethane bottom and a wool lining, to truly cradle your foot in warmth and support.
    — Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Oct. 2023
  • After the game, Emery had hoped the metatarsal injury would not be too serious and scans were conducted in the days after to determine the extent of the damage.
    — Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
  • That’s because with forefoot strikes, the toes can splay, and the force of the impact can roll through the five metatarsal bones in the midsection of the foot, increasing surface area and spreading out the force of the impact.
    — Laura Lancaster, Outdoor Life, 11 Apr. 2024
  • In addition to bunions and flat feet, our tester often experiences pain in the ball of her right foot — a condition that can be common in older people as the padding in the metatarsal area wears down with age.
    — Trina Gray, Peoplemag, 5 Sep. 2024
  • Options are available for men and women including insoles designed for casual comfort, exercise, metatarsal support, fashion and more.
    — Tory Johnson, ABC News, 28 Feb. 2026
  • In the foot, these commonly occur as a result of weakness in the ligaments supporting the arch, causing the metatarsal bone to cause excess friction and then a callus -- most commonly on the second metatarsal bone in the foot.
    — Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 13 Apr. 2023
  • The Texas State lab took a sample from the metatarsal bone in the foot and dispatched it to the lab used by the Argentine group for comparison with the family reference samples on file.
    — Ananda Rose, Scientific American, 1 June 2015
  • This informed everything from the multidensity cushioning pattern to the metatarsal dome placement and outsole flexibility.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
  • The 6-foot-6, 327-pound Banks cracked the fourth metatarsal bone in his left foot in February while practicing for the 40-yard dash the night before the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.
    — CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Utah center Walker Kessler is out for the year recovering from his surgery to address a left shoulder labral tear, while forward Georges Niang (left foot fourth metatarsal stress reaction) and third-year power forward Taylor Hendricks (right hamstring strain) are both on the shelf, too.
    — Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Nov. 2025

metatarsal

2 of 2 noun
  • All the joints were crushed, the three inner metatarsals are all plates and pins in my foot.
    — Outside Online, 11 Feb. 2026
  • The next day, a doctor informed me that my fifth metatarsal was fractured.
    — James Barrett, Redbook, 21 Feb. 2020
  • An X-ray revealed a fractured second metatarsal in my left foot.
    — James Lucas, Outside Online, 31 Mar. 2017
  • My full weight landed on that foot, on the edge of the step, and the little fifth metatarsal bone fractured.
    — Pam Peirce, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Apr. 2022
  • The footbed is polyurethane but features the same arch and metatarsal support as the classic design.
    — Outside Online, 14 Mar. 2022
  • Lawrence fractured his fifth metatarsal in a 1-on-1 rush drill Wednesday.
    — Michael Gehlken, Dallas News, 17 Sep. 2021
  • Williams missed the team's first 15 games after fracturing the fifth metatarsal of his right foot.
    — Shannon Russell, The Courier-Journal, 2 Mar. 2021
  • Fixsen was diagnosed with a stress reaction in the second metatarsal last week.
    — Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 11 June 2017
  • Its second, third, and fourth toes all had domed metatarsal heads that looked a lot more like those of modern humans than modern apes.
    — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, 15 Aug. 2018
  • Recently, a slip and fall resulted in a broken 5th metatarsal in my left foot.
    — Shani Harmon, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Joiner is believed to have a Jones fracture, which is a break to the fifth metatarsal, or the outside of the foot.
    — Michael Lev, azcentral, 3 Mar. 2020
  • The Lisfranc ligament connects the metatarsal and tarsal bones in the middle of the foot.
    — Childs Walker, baltimoresun.com, 24 July 2019
  • Shannon has already missed nine contests this year due to a left foot fifth metatarsal bone bruise, although he's been back for the past three games.
    — Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025
  • Underneath the uniform were a single tooth, two right rib fragments, one long bone fragment and the metatarsal from a right pinkie.
    — Sam Whiting, San Francisco Chronicle, 23 Aug. 2021
  • The defensive tackle from Auburn had surgery last week after fracturing the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot.
    — Mark Inabinett, AL.com, 7 Aug. 2017
  • The Vikings wanted to take a longer-term view with Banks’ recovery from a fractured fourth metatarsal in his left foot.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 9 June 2026
  • The Reds then pulled him from the game, and x-rays taken at the stadium revealed a small fracture low on his fifth metatarsal in his left foot.
    — Zach Buchanan, Cincinnati.com, 15 Aug. 2017
  • Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot and will be out for six to eight weeks.
    — David Moore, Dallas News, 17 Sep. 2021
  • And that high, rounded top at the head of the metatarsal gives the joint more range of motion, which makes that hyperextension more effective.
    — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, 15 Aug. 2018
  • Olsen missed most of the season after sustaining a Jones fracture, a break between the base and middle part of the fifth metatarsal.
    — Joseph Person, charlotteobserver, 2 Feb. 2018
  • The procedure on his fifth metatarsal was done to keep the injury from exacerbating into a fracture.
    — Kevin Casas, star-telegram.com, 8 June 2017
  • DiVincenzo played in eight games as a true freshman before he was diagnosed with a fractured metatarsal in his right foot.
    — Joe Juliano, Philly.com, 20 Mar. 2018
  • After insertion, the Cartiva cartilage protrudes slightly from the metatarsal bone at the base of the big toe.
    — Laura Johannes, WSJ, 16 Sep. 2018
  • Symptoms include tenderness over the middle or most distal portion of the metatarsal (long foot bone) with moderate swelling on the top of the foot.
    — Julie Isphording, Cincinnati.com, 10 July 2017
  • The electrode readings revealed that the spiders’ brains and metatarsal organs became active when exposed to low and high frequency sounds.
    — Liz Langley, National Geographic, 29 Oct. 2020
  • Bland missed 10 games in 2024 after needing surgery on his fifth metatarsal in his left foot, the same foot that is giving him issues now.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Dec. 2025
  • Rather than a carbon fiber plate, the shoe uses the same material for Energy Rods that follow the lines of the metatarsals.
    — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2025
  • The Saint Louis signee broke a bone in her left foot — the fifth metatarsal — getting out of her car last Easter at a Speedway gas station.
    — Michael Osipoff, chicagotribune.com, 13 Apr. 2018
  • The two-time team captain will undergo surgery on the fifth metatarsal of his right foot for the second time in less than 14 months after developing a new fracture.
    — Shannon Russell, The Courier-Journal, 7 Nov. 2020
  • He was diagnosed with a fracture of the left first metatarsal — the same area that was bruised while on the road trip to the West Coast, but unrelated to the injury.
    — Maria Torres, kansascity, 15 June 2018

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'metatarsal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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