juxtapose
verb
jux·ta·pose
ˈjək-stə-ˌpōz 
juxtaposed; juxtaposing
: to place (different things) side by side (as to compare them or contrast them or to create an interesting effect)
juxtapose unexpected combinations of colors, shapes and ideas—
J. F. T. Bugental
J. F. T. Bugental
Did you know?
Is juxtapose a back-formation?
A back-formation is a word that has come about through the removal of a prefix or a suffix from a longer word. Etymologists believe juxtapose is a back-formation that was created when people trimmed down the noun juxtaposition. Historical evidence supports the idea: juxtaposition shows up in the 17th century and juxtapose in the 19th. Juxtaposition is a combination of Latin juxta, meaning "near," and English "position."
Examples of juxtapose in a Sentence
a display that juxtaposes modern art with classical art
Recent Examples on the Web
On the long sleeves of the look, sheer fabric is juxtaposed with the knit base fabric of Knowles’ look.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 25 Apr. 2025
The successes of Mangum and Patrick juxtaposed with the struggles of Sasaki, Shaw, and Dollander show how imprecise predicting baseball can be.
—Daniel R. Epstein, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
To continue to juxtapose stories, Trump gave Musk a seat at the table for the most vital meetings of American leaders – cabinet meetings.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2025
Longtime Macdonald collaborator Sam Rice-Edwards, the movie’s editor and co-director, unimaginatively juxtaposes concert performances with news footage.
—Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for juxtapose
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.
Julia Teti, Footwear News, 25 Apr. 2025
The successes of Mangum and Patrick juxtaposed with the struggles of Sasaki, Shaw, and Dollander show how imprecise predicting baseball can be.
—Daniel R. Epstein, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
To continue to juxtapose stories, Trump gave Musk a seat at the table for the most vital meetings of American leaders – cabinet meetings.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2025
Longtime Macdonald collaborator Sam Rice-Edwards, the movie’s editor and co-director, unimaginatively juxtaposes concert performances with news footage.
—Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for juxtapose
Cite this Entry
“Juxtapose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/juxtapose. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
juxtapose
verb
jux·ta·pose
ˈjək-stə-ˌpōz
juxtaposed; juxtaposing
: to place side by side
juxtaposition
noun
ˌjək-stə-pə-ˈzish-ən
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share