juxtapose
Americanverb (used with object)
-
juxtaposes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
juxtaposed,
past participle, past
-
juxtaposing
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
juxtaposesimple
-
juxtaposessimple
-
have juxtaposedperfect
-
has juxtaposedperfect
-
am juxtaposingprogressive
-
are juxtaposingprogressive
-
is juxtaposingprogressive
-
have been juxtaposingperfect progressive
-
has been juxtaposingperfect progressive
Past
-
juxtaposedsimple
-
had juxtaposedperfect
-
was juxtaposingprogressive
-
were juxtaposingprogressive
-
had been juxtaposingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of juxtapose
First recorded in 1850–55; back formation from juxtaposition
Explanation
See the word "pose" in juxtapose? When you juxtapose, you are "posing" or positioning things side by side. The verb juxtapose requires contrasting things placed next to one other: "The collage juxtaposed pictures of Jane while she was growing up and as an adult." Juxtapose is used often when referring to contrasting elements in the arts. "The music juxtaposed the instrumentation of jazz with the harmonies of soul."
Vocabulary lists containing juxtapose
100 SAT Words Beginning with "J," "K," and "L"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
This Week In Culture: March 29–April 4, 2020
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Stand in "Solidarity": 30 Words to Remind us English is at Least 30 Percent French
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"Like, the rebel I am, I love to juxtapose," she says.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
The effect of the metanarrative is to juxtapose Byron’s violent passions with the careful, repressed behavior of one who hoped to capture him in literature.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 26, 2025
“How would we juxtapose that with an inner monologue that is more expressive?” he says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2025
Cyrus' raspy vocals juxtapose against Beyoncé's soulful and piercing falsetto.
From Salon ● Mar. 29, 2024
The entries would juxtapose the mundane thrill and confusion of being a young girl with the terror of living with Danny.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
It mixes images of parquet floors; spindly, naked trees; and Sol LeWitt-style stripes in a geometric composition that juxtaposes inside and out, black and white, relaxation and activity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
This year's exhibit juxtaposes elegant fashion looks with paintings and sculpture: think a Saint Laurent design next to Van Gogh's "Irises", or a John Galliano gown for Maison Margiela paired with an antique statue.
From Barron's ● May 4, 2026
Ms. Farris juxtaposes the pursuit of her caregivers—who are trying to hold on to some semblance of adult life as best they can—with the general chaos that accompanies child-raising.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
Johnson added: "It juxtaposes with the historic Johnny Haynes stand which was designed by a hero of the sports architectural industry, Archibald Leitch."
From BBC ● May 10, 2025
Goldstein repeatedly juxtaposes nouns and pronouns in the first and third person: that child... me; she.../... herself; I... someone else.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Their snobbery is juxtaposed with Carney’s friend and colleague Pepper’s unsettling bluntness and eyeball to eyeball stare.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Video of these rattling sets, juxtaposed against Pop-A-Shot games, swiftly made the rounds on social media.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
In the film, Orban's words are juxtaposed with interviews with around 20 figures across 14 of Hungary's 19 counties, from the south to the north-east.
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026
But it is a perfect example of the kind of stories we are going to start seeing juxtaposed with Hegseth’s grotesque rhetoric in these first few days of the war.
From Salon ● Mar. 7, 2026
The honor came at an awkward time for it was juxtaposed against an announcement that seemed to call the award itself into question.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Suozzi and Moolenaar kicked off the 2020 NPB with a running shtick — juxtaposing their backgrounds.
From Salon ● May 29, 2026
This show examines how her output responded to and influenced her teachers and contemporaries by juxtaposing her art with works by Helen Frankenthaler, Robert Motherwell, Isamu Noguchi, Peter Voulkos and others.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2025
Its visual storytelling is near-monochromatic, juxtaposing light and darkness.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2025
So juxtaposing that line with footage of the adult Yellowjackets being threatened with evidence of their shared past — again — could be a misdirect.
From Salon ● Feb. 10, 2025
By juxtaposing the pieces of paper against each other and overlapping one color with another, one can almost produce every shade of color.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
