Definition of thwart
transitive verb
1a : to oppose successfully : defeat the hopes or aspirations ofb : to run counter to so as to effectively oppose or baffle : contravene
2 : to pass through or across
thwarter
nounPeople Are Reading
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Examples of thwart in a Sentence
She did all she could to thwart his plans.
The army thwarted the attempt at a coup.
Recent Examples of thwart from the Web
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But even before the bill reached the Senate, Trump veered between inaction and actively thwarting efforts to draft a workable GOP health plan.
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Despite the fact that there is a whole planet pulling down on that balloon with all the gravity that its six billion trillion tonnes can provide, your party trick is enough to thwart it.
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Nevertheless, the scandal has done severe damage to his career, likely thwarting his 2016 bid for the presidency and his subsequent chances of becoming President Trump’s running mate.
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Given to the patient shortly before the transplant, the infusion of antibodies theoretically reduces the host's residual T cells, minimizing the risk of graft rejection while eliminating T cells from the donor to thwart GVHD.
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This apparently coordinated effort, though, kept a dozen stadium workers dodging as fans hurled water balloons, thwarting efforts to clear the field.
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But there’s more than thwarted love out there in the world for a young man to explore.
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DHS singled out reinforcing the Arizona border in particular, to thwart drug gangs and improve the safety of border agents.
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Washilewski fired three straight fastballs past Guzek to thwart the rally, and the Mustangs made that lead stand up for a 1-0 Catholic League Blue win.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'thwart.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Thwart and its synonyms "foil" and "frustrate" all suggest checking or defeating another's plan or preventing the achievement of a goal. "Foil" implies checking or defeating so as to discourage future efforts ("foiled by her parents, he stopped trying to see her"), while "frustrate" suggests making all efforts, however vigorous or persistent, futile or ineffectual ("frustrated attempts at government reform"). "Thwart" usually indicates frustration caused by opposition ("the army thwarted an attempted coup").
Origin and Etymology of thwart
Middle English thwerten, from thwert, adverb
Synonym Discussion of thwart
Origin and Etymology of thwart
Middle English thwert, from Old Norse thvert, from neuter of thverr transverse, oblique; akin to Old High German dwerah transverse, oblique
thwart
Definition of thwart
: situated or placed across something else : transverse
thwartly
adverbFirst Known Use of thwart
14th century
thwart
Definition of thwart
: a seat extending athwart a boat
Origin and Etymology of thwart
alteration of obsolete thought, thoft, from Middle English thoft, from Old English thofte; akin to Old High German dofta rower's seat
THWART Defined for English Language Learners
thwart
playDefinition of thwart for English Language Learners
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: to prevent (someone) from doing something or to stop (something) from happening
THWART Defined for Kids
thwart
playDefinition of thwart for Students
thwarted
;thwarting
: to stop from happening or succeeding Police thwarted the crime.
Learn More about thwart
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See words that rhyme with thwart Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for thwart Spanish Central: Translation of thwart Nglish: Translation of thwart for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of thwart for Arabic speakers
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