thwart

[ thwawrt ]

/ θwɔrt /

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See synonyms for: thwart / thwarted / thwarter / thwartest on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to oppose successfully; prevent from accomplishing a purpose.

to frustrate or baffle (a plan, purpose, etc.).

Archaic.

to cross.
to extend across.

noun

a seat across a boat, especially one used by a rower.

a transverse member spreading the gunwales of a canoe or the like.

adjective

passing or lying crosswise or across; cross; transverse.

perverse; obstinate.

adverse; unfavorable.

preposition, adverb

across; athwart.

OTHER WORDS FOR thwart

1 hinder, obstruct.

See synonyms for thwart on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of thwart

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English thwert (adverb), from Old Norse thvert “across,” neuter of thverr “transverse”; cognate with Old English thweorh “crooked, cross,” Gothic thwairhs “cross, angry”

synonym study for thwart

1. Thwart, frustrate, baffle imply preventing one, more or less completely, from accomplishing a purpose. Thwart and frustrate apply to purposes, actions, plans, etc., baffle, to the psychological state of the person thwarted. Thwart suggests stopping one by opposing, blocking, or in some way running counter to one's efforts. Frustrate implies rendering all attempts or efforts useless or ineffectual, so that nothing ever comes of them. Baffle suggests causing defeat by confusing, puzzling, or perplexing, so that a situation seems too hard a problem to understand or solve.

OTHER WORDS FROM thwart

thwart·ed·ly, adverbthwarter, nounun·thwart·ed, adjectiveun·thwart·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use thwart in a sentence

Meanwhile, the Covid-19 pandemic has crushed the airline industry, prompting airlines to cancel orders for the Max and thwarting Boeing’s plans to quickly reverse its losses.
FAA gives Boeing 737 Max the green light to fly again, shares soar|kdunn6|November 18, 2020|Fortune
So, if you want a post-apocalyptic story that thwarts the expectations of the dystopian genre, here it is — with a slice of artisanal cheese.
Jonathan Lethem’s ‘The Arrest’ imagines a kinder, gentler apocalypse|Ron Charles|November 10, 2020|Washington Post
After Bill Hamid thwarted Quioto’s header and Gressel and Quioto missed excellent opportunities, United reclaimed the lead in the 33rd minute.
D.C. United gets the help it needs but can’t help itself to an MLS playoff berth|Steven Goff|November 9, 2020|Washington Post
That project—which includes a strong focus on ending voter suppression—has been her singular focus since her thwarted bid for the governor’s mansion two years ago.
How Stacey Abrams and other Georgia activists laid the groundwork for 2020|ehinchliffe|November 6, 2020|Fortune

The trio of tomes invites thwarted travelers to stack volumes on the coffee table, settle into the sofa and turn the pages of our planet.
No travel plans? Try three new books about the nexus of travel and design.|Rebecca Powers|November 5, 2020|Washington Post
Unlike Bond, constantly thwarting Soviet villains, Burlington never got a chance to flex its muscle.
Britain’s Nuke-Proof Underground City|Nina Strochlic|June 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The pattern of presidential overreach thwarting achievement is not limited to noble goals.
Presidents Never Can Seem to Learn to Stop Overreaching|Stuart Stevens|November 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Prince said that despite $80 billion a year in spending, U.S. intelligence had nothing to do with thwarting the Nigerian national.
Blackwater Founder Erik Prince: War on Terror Has Become Too Big|Eli Lake|November 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Military men defended the repression as key to thwarting the communist threat.
Guatemala’s Trial of the Century|Mac Margolis|May 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The outside world has achieved remarkable success delaying and thwarting the Iranian nuclear program.
Stand With Israel|David Frum|November 20, 2012|DAILY BEAST
What a power for thwarting the plans of men little things sometimes exercise!
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
He missed no opportunity of thwarting and damaging the Government which had saved him from the gallows.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay
The good Doctor sighed and consented; he recognized there was no thwarting their earnest purpose.
Those Dale Girls|Frank Weston Carruth
If he had made a few enemies by thwarting private plans, he had surely the power of making a thousand friends.
The Light That Lures|Percy Brebner
He longed for an opportunity of thwarting his plots, if it could be done without also ruining himself.
File No. 113|Emile Gaboriau

British Dictionary definitions for thwart

thwart

/ (θwɔːt) /

verb

to oppose successfully or prevent; frustratethey thwarted the plan

obsolete to be or move across

noun

nautical a seat lying across a boat and occupied by an oarsman

adjective

passing or being situated across

archaic perverse or stubborn

preposition, adverb

obsolete across

Derived forms of thwart

thwartedly, adverbthwarter, noun

Word Origin for thwart

C13: from Old Norse thvert, from thverr transverse; related to Old English thweorh crooked, Old High German twerh transverse

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

thwart

OTHER WORDS FOR thwart

Origin of thwart

synonym study for thwart

OTHER WORDS FROM thwart

Words related to thwart

How to use thwart in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for thwart

Derived forms of thwart

Word Origin for thwart