athwart 1 of 2

1
as in through
from one side to the other of an intervening space after it enters the Gulf of Mexico, the hurricane is predicted to advance athwart to the Texas coastline

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Relevance
2
as in diagonally
in a line or direction running from corner to corner we hung the twisted strips of crepe paper athwart to the floor and ceiling so that they formed giant crosses on all four walls

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

athwart

2 of 2

preposition

as in across
to the opposite side of athwart the road was farmland as far as the eye could see

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of athwart
Preposition
An obstructionist Supreme Court, however, stood athwart the New Deal’s path. John Fabian Witt, The New Republic, 26 Aug. 2022 One of the world’s largest container ships was wedged athwart the Suez canal on March 24th, apparently blown off course by high winds. The Economist, 24 Mar. 2021 One of the world’s largest container ships was wedged athwart the Suez Canal on March 23rd, blown off course by high winds. The Economist, 27 Mar. 2021 The outgoing Trump administration is standing athwart a massive investment management trend. Michael Taylor, ExpressNews.com, 2 Dec. 2020 Her mother, feeling abandoned by her constantly traveling husband, had affairs; her father’s heartfelt liberalism would run athwart of the postwar Red Scare. Elsa Dixler, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Apr. 2020 Indeed, instead of ostentatious acts of helping people, the administration almost preferred being seen standing athwart attempts to provide relief. Alex Pareene, The New Republic, 20 Dec. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for athwart
Adverb
  • Making your pitch too long and full of paragraphs--not easily scannable for busy decision-makers with hundreds of emails to wade through.
    Rachel Wells, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
  • Most oil exports from Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE pass through, as well as Iran’s own exports.
    Callum Sutherland, Time, 24 June 2025
Adverb
  • The screen size is the most noticeable increase, 7.9 inches (measured diagonally), up from 6.2 inches.
    Sabrina Rojas Weiss, Parents, 26 June 2025
  • The Thunder had clinched the NBA title just minutes earlier at the Paycom Center, which sits diagonally across from the northeast corner of the park.
    Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 23 June 2025
Preposition
  • Smith’s development across his next five years will weigh heavily in the final verdict.
    Chandler Rome, New York Times, 28 June 2025
  • And no surprise, too, are the comments that follow, with people across the state often sharing memories of favorite meals, being treated well and even family or other events at a favorite place.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2025
Adverb
  • By the time the strike was over in mid-July — with the union defeated and the soldiers gone — the official local death toll was 12, though some historians say more than 30 died.
    Robert Loerzel, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2025
  • The denial, anger, depression, and bargaining stages appear to be over, and the acceptance that Italy is no longer at the top of world soccer is key for the league to rise back to the top, a sentiment shared by Serie A North America CEO Andy Mitchell.
    David Ferrini, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
Preposition
  • Read More: Xi Shows No Sign of Rescuing Iran as Trump Ramps Up Pressure Iran’s ability to react may be limited by its economic weakness, with inflation running at around 40%.
    Sara Braun, Fortune, 22 June 2025
  • Many of the picks around those two were misfires, so Arizona did well to find surplus value that season.
    The Athletic NHL Staff, New York Times, 21 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Athwart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/athwart. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

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