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 Cain’s 2022 debut, Preacher’s Daughter, meanwhile, mined the grim underbelly of the American South and transposed it all into airy pop anthems. Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 17 Jan. 2025 Works transposed into foreign languages—and cultures—inevitably suffer omissions and distortion. Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2025 By transposing the customary equation of data security, Indukuri helped build FenixPyre to bake protection into the data. Molly Peck, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024 Rupert, a sort of Byronic hero transposed into 1986, is always taking off his shirt dramatically and doing things like playing tennis naked with someone else’s wife. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 20 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for transpose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for transpose
Verb
  • This small shift transforms a directive into a strategic decision and positions you as thoughtful, not arbitrary.
    Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Downstairs, the Rock Bottom Bar is even more lively, with frequent live music and DJ sets on Saturday that transform this relatively sleepy coastal spot into a party.
    Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 23 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • They were also barred from installing any software on SSA devices and ordered to remove any such software installed since the beginning of the Trump administration.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 2025
  • In other instances, including the president's attempt to invoke the wartime Alien Enemies Act to remove certain migrants, judges have issued temporary restraining orders that prevent enforcement of a policy, typically for 14 days, to allow for further proceedings.
    Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 22 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Over centuries, bacteria broke down ammonia in guano, converting it into nitrates that accumulated in cave soil.
    Scott Travers, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
  • According to a Dietitian Carrots Are an Immune-Booster Carrots are rich in alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, antioxidants the body converts to vitamin A.
    Caitlin Pagán, Verywell Health, 19 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The baby kept moving her fingers right around the dog's eyes, but Daisy Doo didn't care.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Once the pandemic came along, Stegemann moved bit by bit from Hamburg out to Bender’s in the countryside.
    Fiona Bornhöft, Architectural Digest, 22 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Two years earlier, her employer had sold his house in Brentwood, California, and relocated to Wellington.
    Emily Witt, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025
  • This termination policy subjected tribal nations and reservation lands to state jurisdiction and relocated at least 200,000 Native people from tribal lands to urban centers.
    Alyssa Kreikemeier, The Conversation, 28 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The deportees were then transferred to the Center for Terrorism Confinement, known as Cecot, the largest prison in the Americas.
    Merlin Delcid, CNN, 23 Mar. 2025
  • Schreiner also spoke out against states and colleges that were not offering the trans athlete a full scholarship when Schreiner wanted to transfer in December.
    Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 23 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • But after Bonet departed the series following its first season, the focus shifted to characters played by Jasmine Guy, Kadeem Hardison, Dawnn Lewis, Glynn Turman, Cory Tyler, Lou Myers, Darryl M. Bell, Cree Summer, and Charnele Brown.
    Joe Otterson, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The payment shifted to CPS in 2020 in an effort to financially detangle the district from the city.
    Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 28 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

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