Synonym Chooser

How does the verb transpose contrast with its synonyms?

The words invert and reverse are common synonyms of transpose. While all three words mean "to change to the opposite position," transpose implies a change in order or relative position of units often through exchange of position.

transposed the letters to form an anagram

When could invert be used to replace transpose?

The synonyms invert and transpose are sometimes interchangeable, but invert applies chiefly to turning upside down or inside out.

the number 9 looks like an inverted 6

In what contexts can reverse take the place of transpose?

The words reverse and transpose can be used in similar contexts, but reverse is the most general term and may imply change in order, side, direction, meaning.

reversed his position on the trade agreement

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of transpose Many of today’s studio photographers favor the ease of Photoshop: newlyweds who come in for wedding pictures can choose to be digitally transposed in front of the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal, or Egyptian pyramids. M. Z. Adnan, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2025 The film is intended as a homage to 1940s and ’50s detective noir films, cleverly transposing those aesthetics onto modern-day Bakersfield, California. James Factora, Them., 21 Aug. 2025 Local audiences can transpose themselves a couple of blocks down from the pageant into the Marine Room, a once notorious biker bar turned family friendly pub, replete, under the brush of painter Bradford J. Salamon, with a visiting dog, billiards players and a cat. Daniella Walsh, Oc Register, 10 July 2025 Those groups' ability to transpose the American songbook and European orchestral composition into lovestruck street-corner harmonies allowed gospel soul to supersede the popularity of blues while fusing culture and race into the juggernaut known as rock-and-roll. Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for transpose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for transpose
Verb
  • The strap is detachable, so it can be worn as a belt bag during the day and then transform into an upscale clutch for a fancy dinner in the evening, and the pouch offers enough space for your phone, keys, and other small essentials for a day on the go.
    Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Watching everything in release order will give you a nearly complete experience, though hardcore fans may want to check out The Golden Age Arc – Memorial Edition, which transformed the three films into a 13-episode anime series featuring new music, enhanced visuals, and other fun additions.
    Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Officials urge residents to take precautions like using insect repellent and removing standing water.
    Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Yet, Barclays’ Venkateshwar expects the environment will likely get more difficult for the wireless carrier in the future, as the entire sector deals with elevated churn — the pace at which customers are added and removed.
    Sarah Min, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In the electrified city of the future, parking spaces could be converted into lots for ridesharing and robotaxis, supercharging stations and dedicated bike lanes, said Kara Kockelman, professor of transportation engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.
    Rebecca A. Fannin, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Taiwan converts time into a weapon by turning drones into throughput problems, from design to fab to field to refresh.
    Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The traffic itself generally keeps moving rather than fully stopping.
    Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025
  • Univisión moved the Premios Juventud to Panama and the Latin Grammys to Las Vegas, after hosting the 2024 event here.
    Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Sadly, the effort to relocate those mice turned out to be a daily routine with no foreseeable end.
    Irv Erdos, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Home prices in Riyadh have spiked in recent years as job creation attracted a flood of expats and encouraged many Saudis to relocate from other parts of the country.
    Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The station chief was transferred to another country and has since retired, former officials said.
    T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Washington began transferring the Cuban refugees detained in Guantánamo into the United States at the rate of approximately 500 people per day, in order of medical priority and, subsequently, according to a lottery system.
    Miriam Pensack, The Dial, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Grace Tucker The school year is in full swing at universities across the region, but the latest enrollment numbers show the demographic of some campuses, including at the University of Cincinnati, has shifted significantly.
    Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Powell said a sharp cooldown of hiring over the summer had shifted the balance of risks toward greater concern over the labor market rather than inflation.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Transpose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/transpose. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

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