Definition

Adverb 1. At the same time as; exactly when: Used to indicate that one event happens at the precise moment another event occurs. 2. In the same way that; exactly like: Used to draw a comparison, indicating that one thing is similar to another.

Usage

The phrase "just as" is used to connect two clauses, highlighting either temporal coincidence or similarity. It functions as a subordinating conjunction.

Examples

• Temporal Meaning (at the same time as):

  • The phone rang just as I was leaving the house.
  • The power went out just as the movie reached its climax.

• Comparative Meaning (in the same way that):

  • She is kind, just as her mother was.
  • The new model performs well, just as the old one did.

Advanced Usage

• "just as... so...": This correlative structure is used for formal or literary comparisons, emphasizing that the second statement is a logical consequence or parallel of the first.
  • Just as the twig is bent, so grows the tree.
  • Just as we protect our own children, so we should protect all children.

Variants and Related Words

• Even as: A more formal synonym for the temporal meaning of "just as."
  • He finished the report even as the meeting began.
• Exactly as: A synonym for the comparative meaning, emphasizing precision.
  • Do it exactly as I showed you.

Synonyms

• At the moment when (temporal)
• Simultaneously with (temporal)
• In the same manner as (comparative)
• Similarly to (comparative)

Related Phrases

• Just when: Often used similarly to the temporal "just as," but can imply an element of surprise or inconvenience.
  • He called just when I was busiest.

Adverb

1. at the same time as
   • even as he lay dying they argued over his estate
   • the building collapsed just as he arrived