juxtapose

American  

[juhk-stuh-pohz, juhk-stuh-pohz] / ˈdʒʌk stəˌpoʊz, ˌdʒʌk stəˈpoʊz /

verb (used with object)

juxtaposed, juxtaposing

1. to place close together or side by side, especially with an arresting or surprising effect, or in a way that invites comparison or contrast.

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juxtapose British  

/ ˌdʒʌkstəˈpəʊz /

verb

1. (tr) to place close together or side by side

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Other Word Forms

• juxtaposition noun
• juxtapositional adjective

Etymology

Origin of juxtapose

First recorded in 1850–55; back formation from juxtaposition

Example Sentences

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

As early as 1989, Gaines had conceived of a show that would juxtapose powerful contemporary work by Black Americans with deprecating excerpts by art critics, highlighting the profound mismeasure of these artists’ achievements.

From New York Times • May 16, 2024

Cyrus' raspy vocals juxtapose against Beyoncé's soulful and piercing falsetto.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2024

If I juxtapose a page with another page, that creates this entirely new narrative.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 8, 2023

If we could only juxtapose one eyeball of this sanctified woman and a television tube, both being roughly of the same shape and design, what a phantasmagoria of exploding electrodes would occur.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole