interpose
verb·/ˌɪn.tɚˈpoʊz/
1. Place or wedge between; insert as a barrier, buffer, or separating presence (formal).
He interposed his arm between the dog and the child, not striking, merely making a boundary.
2. Offer or inject (an opinion, objection, or plea), often at a critical moment (formal).
Before the argument could harden into cruelty, she interposed a single question that made them both pause.
Etymology
From Latin interponere “to put between,” from inter “between” + ponere “to place.” The word keeps the gesture in it, an act of placing-between meant to alter what would otherwise happen.
Related Words
interveneto step in; often more active or sustained
interjectto insert speech abruptly; narrower
mediateto stand between to reconcile; more explicitly conciliatory
obstructto block; harsher than interpose