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 The plot has been transposed to an environment Lee knows well — New York City, lushly captured — allowing the director to make the film his own, with wit, high style and kinetic energy to burn. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2025 Member states now have until the end of the year to transpose it into national law. Jon McGowan, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025 The Glazers transposed the model to United on a global scale. Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 11 May 2025 Ramsay’s dark comedy thriller Die, My Love transposes Ariana Harwicz’s novel about a woman living in the French countryside who develops severe postpartum depression, to Montana and stars Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 23 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for transpose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for transpose
Verb
  • The film, about a Belarusian model dreaming of a career in China, slowly transforms into a love story between two outsiders.
    Marta Balaga, Variety, 16 Aug. 2025
  • After being released from his first WWE contract, McIntyre had to completely reinvent himself on the independent circuit, transforming his body and his character to earn a second chance.
    Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Liam and Noel Gallagher, 16 years removed from what was ostensibly the final Oasis gig (following a scuffle between the two Mancunians backstage at a festival in England), have defied the oddsmakers.
    Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
  • The Placer County Board of Supervisors amended its county code this month to remove a decades-old provision requiring the county executive officer to live within its jurisdiction because the code violated the state Constitution.
    Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Photovoltaic cells convert sunlight directly into electricity.
    Gaelle Legrand, CNBC, 23 Aug. 2025
  • The seniors’ residence, called Coopers Chase, is itself a kind of fantasy, converted from a pile of an English country house that is not quite Downton Abbey but close enough.
    Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • To move the 250 million gallons of refined fuel the Navy needs to fight, the fleet will require at least 23 tankers.
    Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
  • Even 6 inches of swiftly moving water can forcefully knock you off your feet.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The partnership is relocating squirrels from the Dakotas into the northwest portion of Indiana.
    Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 21 Aug. 2025
  • The Prince and Princess of Wales are relocating from what’s been their home for the last few years, Adelaide Cottage, to a new location, Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Washington’s deadlock has created a tectonic shift transferring power — and the locus for activity — back to the regions.
    Russell Hancock, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2025
  • Ruth, who was being treated for an eating disorder, was transferred to the location in October 2021, per the BBC.
    Becca Longmire, People.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The lineup shifts with the seasons (think pecan in the fall, mincemeat at Christmas, and cherry in summer), but a few icons never leave the case.
    Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 19 Aug. 2025
  • Her narrative focus has shifted from a hopeful idealism to something bordering on world-weariness, as her excoriating prose focuses more on bad actors—ineffectual politicians, vicious drug dealers, corrupt judiciaries.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Transpose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/transpose. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.

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