thwart
Americanverb (used with object)
-
thwarts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
thwarted,
past participle, past
-
thwarting
present participle
noun
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thwarts
plural
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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.
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perverse; obstinate.
-
adverse; unfavorable.
preposition
verb
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to oppose successfully or prevent; frustrate
they thwarted the plan
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obsolete to be or move across
noun
adjective
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passing or being situated across
-
archaic perverse or stubborn
preposition
Synonym Usage
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 Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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thwartsimple
-
thwartssimple
-
have thwartedperfect
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has thwartedperfect
-
am thwartingprogressive
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are thwartingprogressive
-
is thwartingprogressive
-
have been thwartingperfect progressive
-
has been thwartingperfect progressive
Past
-
thwartedsimple
-
had thwartedperfect
-
was thwartingprogressive
-
were thwartingprogressive
-
had been thwartingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
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”
Explanation
A villain's worst nightmare is the superhero who always seems to thwart his efforts, preventing him from carrying out his plans to take over the world. Thwart is a word you'll hear in a lot of action movies, and usually it's the hero who is trying to thwart the evil plan of some super-villain. Yet even mere mortals can be thwarted in their efforts; the word simply means to prevent someone from carrying out his or her plans. An aggressive driver can thwart your attempt to snag a parking space at a crowded mall by pulling into the space before you. An aggressive shopper at that same mall can thwart your efforts to buy the last Dancing Snoopy doll by grabbing it off the shelf first.
Vocabulary lists containing thwart
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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:
Police refused them permission to protest and unprecedented curbs were in place to thwart the protesters from reaching the venue.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
Other parts of the Ukrainian armed forces are using a similar approach to strike logistics and isolate Russian soldiers at the front, reduce Ukrainian casualties, thwart Russian advances and intercept drones, among other key functions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
Israel has been providing Saudi Arabia with intelligence to help thwart further attacks, using American military intermediaries, according to Israeli media reports.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
The article—by reporters Jonathan Swan, Adam Entous, and Maggie Haberman—adds that those commanders are alarmed by how much the war has depleted U.S. weapons stockpiles, including long-range missiles and interceptors to thwart air attacks.
From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026
Turning and looking down from this camp one sees the glacier-flow split, divided, torn and churned by the black steaming peaks that thwart it.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
The long consignment to the wilderness thwarts “preservation, access, education, creative reuse, scholarship, etc., when most of the works are out of circulation and not benefiting any rights holders.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 30, 2025
It brings to mind this concept of malicious compliance, where you’re technically doing what you’re supposed to, but in a way that actually thwarts the goals of the powers that be.
From Slate ● Aug. 15, 2025
And then, tensions stretched to the breaking point, the book thwarts all expectations, leaving behind a feeling of lingering unease.
From New York Times ● Dec. 7, 2023
“The Challenge” injects randomness and chaos into the mix that thwarts the most studious strategists, mainly by throwing people for a loop by changing up certain games and tossing psychological tests into its pressure cooker.
From Salon ● Nov. 28, 2023
The men took turns hacking ice off the thwarts and bows, and bailing to keep the small boats from foundering.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
The officers have since thwarted roughly 400 master carton smuggling attempts, involving nearly 6,000 pre-labeled shipments of peptides.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
York Valkyrie became the first side to win the Women's Super League three times after an incredible defensive effort thwarted Wigan Warriors at the Brick Community Stadium.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
Their efforts were thwarted by Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, who rejected the petition right at the deadline, hours before the state’s primary election last month.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
But the available data paint a worrisome picture of thwarted learning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
In other people’s presence I was, as formerly, deferential and quiet; any other line of conduct being uncalled for: it was only in the evening conferences I thus thwarted and afflicted him.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
But the law keeps thwarting them, and the Hutchinson case could become the latest example.
From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2026
Under that proposal, MPS would buy both Banco BPM and the wealth management firm Banca Generali, thwarting Intesa's takeover bid.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Los Angeles police corralled and arrested scores of minibike riders on Sunday, thwarting a takeover of 6th Street Bridge, police said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
"As her book's title suggests, it turns out Hill was quite busy behind the doors of justice, thwarting the integrity of the justice system she was sworn to protect and uphold," the justices wrote.
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
As it is, you are thwarting yourself and your mentality.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
