juxtapose
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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juxtaposesimple
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juxtaposessimple
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have juxtaposedperfect
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has juxtaposedperfect
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am juxtaposingprogressive
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are juxtaposingprogressive
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is juxtaposingprogressive
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have been juxtaposingperfect progressive
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has been juxtaposingperfect progressive
Past
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juxtaposedsimple
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had juxtaposedperfect
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was juxtaposingprogressive
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were juxtaposingprogressive
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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"
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This Week In Culture: March 29–April 4, 2020
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Stand in "Solidarity": 30 Words to Remind us English is at Least 30 Percent French
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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:
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
That inspired Juson to juxtapose the humanity of Black people against the words that sought to dehumanize them.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2024
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
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
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
The “Spectacular” has cannily evolved over the decades, and now juxtaposes high-tech features like drones and sprawling animated projections with the Rockettes, the high-kicking troupe that keeps precision showmanship alive.
From New York Times ● Nov. 27, 2024
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
Video of these rattling sets, juxtaposed against Pop-A-Shot games, swiftly made the rounds on social media.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
The spokesperson said it’s understandable for reporters to ask questions about the conflicts, “but out of fairness, it should be juxtaposed by the fact that there’s been no indication of favorable treatment.”
From MarketWatch ● May 18, 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
Gomez takes up this theme in his photorealistic paintings, which often feature dramatic skies juxtaposed with decaying urban signs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 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
The morning show also played a viral clip of typically silent Barron speaking, juxtaposing it with a clip of him as an eight-year-old.
From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2024
But then, juxtaposing that with being in Hollywood, having experienced firsthand the industry, it can be very exclusive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2024
“They are now juxtaposing their typical day against this new feeling, what it feels like to not have cortisol going through the roof,” he says.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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.
