thwart

1 of 4

verb

thwarted; thwarting; thwarts

transitive verb

1
a
: to oppose successfully : defeat the hopes or aspirations of
b
: to run counter to so as to effectively oppose or baffle : contravene
2
: to pass through or across
thwarter noun

thwart

2 of 4

adverb

ˈthwȯrt How to pronounce thwart (audio)
 nautical often  ˈthȯrt

thwart

3 of 4

adjective

: situated or placed across something else : transverse
thwartly adverb

thwart

4 of 4

noun

: a seat extending athwart a boat

Did you know?

Try to compile a long list of words in English that begin with “thw,” and prepare to be thwarted in your attempt: there aren’t many, and a goodly portion of those that do exist, such as thwartwise and the now-obsolete thwartsaw, start with thwart itself. Today we mostly use thwart as a verb to mean “to defeat or oppose successfully” but a lesser-known meaning of the word is “to pass through or across.” And it’s that sense that points to the origin of this odd-sounding word. In early Middle English, thwert was an adverb meaning “across” or “transversely,” used to describe how something lies across the length of something else. The verb thwerten came from this adverb and eventually became thwart. The link between the meanings becomes clear if you think of thwarting a plan, effort, etc., as blocking a road or path, thereby impeding another’s progress. And if you’re at cross-purposes with someone, you two are mutually—even if unintentionally—thwarting each other’s plans.

Choose the Right Synonym for thwart

frustrate, thwart, foil, baffle, balk mean to check or defeat another's plan or block achievement of a goal.

frustrate implies making vain or ineffectual all efforts however vigorous or persistent.

frustrated attempts at government reform

thwart suggests frustration or checking by crossing or opposing.

the army thwarted his attempt at a coup

foil implies checking or defeating so as to discourage further effort.

foiled by her parents, he stopped trying to see her

baffle implies frustration by confusing or puzzling.

baffled by the maze of rules and regulations

balk suggests the interposing of obstacles or hindrances.

officials felt that legal restrictions had balked their efforts to control crime

Examples of thwart in a Sentence

Verb She did all she could to thwart his plans. The army thwarted the attempt at a coup.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Spread of the virus can be thwarted, however, if a dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, known as the MMR, can be given within 72 hours of exposure, or intravenous immunoglobulin can be administered within six days of exposure. Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 10 Mar. 2024 Charlotte needed nearly every one of Milicic’s points to thwart the Owls’ late-game rally. Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 7 Mar. 2024 Democrats in Congress pursued federal legislation to thwart the GOP efforts. Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 The Minnesota Timberwolves have been a thorn in the Clippers’ basketball world this season, using their immense size and defensive prowess to thwart L.A. in the first two meetings, the last a 21-point beating. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Some of the causes are beyond Mr. Biden’s control, such as the surge in migration around the world and Republicans who have tried to thwart his efforts to address the problems. Erica L. Green, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Many Republicans — especially ardent supporters of former President Donald Trump, who has urged GOP members to thwart the package — are against sending more aid to Ukraine. Joe Rubin, Sacramento Bee, 27 Feb. 2024 Though the marvellous Sanada exudes an enigmatic nobility, Toranaga’s refusal to confide in his advisers thwarts any real insight into—or investment in—his ascent. Inkoo Kang, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024 Based on James Clavell’s novel, Shogun is a new series about feudal Japan and its complex politics as European powers descend, hoping to enrich themselves and thwart one another. Erik Kain, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
Adjective
States had been using that federal aid to cut down on wait times for jobless benefits, thwart identity theft and replace computer systems that in some cases were more than half a century old — the very lapses that the GAO has identified as risk factors for fraud. Tony Romm, Washington Post, 12 Sep. 2023 After boycotting Ticketmaster on his last tour to try to keep prices reasonable and thwart scalpers, Bryan returned to the service on Wednesday. Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2023
Noun
The European Union is close to hitting Apple Inc. with its first ever antitrust fine as well as a ban on App Store rules that the bloc believes thwart competition, according to the Financial Times. Aisha S Gani, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2024 Experts such as Byres say that what’s needed are active security measures that detect and thwart attacks, as opposed to what the utilities have been doing—simply trying to wall off their control systems. IEEE Spectrum, 20 Apr. 2016 The Justice Department argues in a federal antitrust suit that Google is a dominant tech company that has abused its market power to bully industry partners, protect its monopoly and thwart competition. Steve Lohr, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2023 Carlos De Oliveira was added last week to the indictment with Trump and the former president’s valet, Walt Nauta, in the federal case alleging a plot to illegally keep top-secret records at Trump’s Palm Beach, Florida, estate and thwart government efforts to retrieve them. Adriana Gomez Licon and Alanna Durkin Richer, BostonGlobe.com, 31 July 2023 But when that other person tries to impede the investigation, obstruct the investigation, thwart investigators by counseling attorneys to lie, by trying to destroy security camera footage, that helps illuminate that person's intent. Nbc Universal, NBC News, 30 July 2023 Conair Double Ceramic Ionic Hair Dryer, $20 (Save 43%) $35 $20 This Conair hair dryer has double ceramic plates that fight frizz, thwart damage, and create more shine. Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 10 July 2023 Israel says the raids are meant to crack down on Palestinians militants and thwart attacks. Majdi Mohammed, BostonGlobe.com, 4 July 2023 An outfitter named Craig had rented me the 15-foot canoe with a broken thwart, splintering gunwales, and the tanker toilet. Florence Williams, Outside Online, 1 Feb. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thwart.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English thwerten, from thwert, adverb

Adverb

Middle English thwert, from Old Norse thvert, from neuter of thverr transverse, oblique; akin to Old High German dwerah transverse, oblique

Noun

alteration of obsolete thought, thoft, from Middle English thoft, from Old English thofte; akin to Old High German dofta rower's seat

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Adverb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1736, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thwart was in the 13th century

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Dictionary Entries Near thwart

Cite this Entry

“Thwart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thwart. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

thwart

1 of 4 verb
1
: to stand in the way of : hinder by opposing
she thwarted me at every opportunity
2
: to defeat the hopes, desires, or plans of
the goalie thwarted their attempts to score
thwarter noun

thwart

2 of 4 adverb

thwart

3 of 4 adjective
: situated or placed across something else

thwart

4 of 4 noun
: a rower's seat extending across a boat
Etymology

Verb

Middle English thwerten (verb) "oppose, hinder," from thwert (adverb) "across"

Adverb

Middle English thwert "across"; of Norse origin

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