thwart

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verb \ ˈthwȯrt \

Definition of thwart

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

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thwarter

noun

See thwart defined for English-language learners

See thwart defined for kids

thwart was our Word of the Day on 07/12/2013. Hear the podcast!

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

To that point, the ageless U.S. keeper Tim Howard had been the man of the match, thwarting three legitimate Costa Rican chances along the way.

— matthew martinez, star-telegram, "Dempsey leads U.S. to Gold Cup final in win over Costa Rica," 22 July 2017
But even before the bill reached the Senate, Trump veered between inaction and actively thwarting efforts to draft a workable GOP health plan.

— margaret hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "Who’s to Blame for the GOP Health Care Debacle, Trump or McConnell?," 19 July 2017
It’s all adding up to frustration, even misery, for Republicans who’ve seen their ambitions thwarted on many fronts.

— erica werner, The Seattle Times, "Washington braces for a long, hot summer slog of politics," 13 July 2017
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.

— The Economist, "If the universe was not “fine-tuned”Reflections on the fine-structure constant," 13 July 2017
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.

— aria bendix, The Atlantic, "‘Bridgegate’ Mastermind Avoids Prison Sentence," 12 July 2017
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.

— jon cohen, Science | AAAS, "A stem cell transplant helped beat back a young doctor’s cancer. Now, it’s assaulting his body," 12 July 2017
This apparently coordinated effort, though, kept a dozen stadium workers dodging as fans hurled water balloons, thwarting efforts to clear the field.

— mike malloy, OrlandoSentinel.com, "UF falls to TCU, Gators to face Horned Frogs in elimination game Saturday," 24 June 2017
The city of Gary is launching an aggressive crackdown, involving a network of cameras and code enforcement officers, to thwart dumping.

— carole carlson, Post-Tribune, "Gary mayor hopes to publicly shame dumpers," 21 June 2017

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

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First Known Use: 13th century

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thwart Synonyms

Synonyms

baffle, balk, beat, checkmate, discomfit, foil, frustrate

Antonyms

advance, cultivate, encourage, forward, foster, further, nurture, promote

Related Words

bar, block, clog, encumber, fetter, hamper, handicap, hinder, hobble, hold back, impede, inhibit, interfere (with), manacle, obstruct, shackle, tie up, trammel; arrest, check, halt, set back, short-circuit, stall, stop; avert, forestall, obviate, preclude, prevent; negate, neutralize, nullify; counteract, offset; conquer, defeat, overcome

Near Antonyms

abet, aid, assist; ease, facilitate, smooth

Synonym Discussion of 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

thwart

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adverb \ ˈthwȯrt , naut often ˈthȯrt \

Definition of thwart

:athwart

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

thwart

adjective

Definition of thwart

:situated or placed across something else :transverse

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thwartly

adverb

First Known Use of thwart

14th century

thwart

noun

Definition of thwart

:a seat extending athwart a boat

Recent Examples of thwart from the Web

Two of his steals came in the fourth quarter, timely thwarts during the Grizzlies’ surge.

— marcus thompson ii, The Mercury News, "Draymond Green’s historic triple double helps Warriors exorcise their Memphis demons," 10 Feb. 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1736

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THWART Defined for English Language Learners

thwart

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verb

Definition of thwart for English Language Learners

: to prevent (someone) from doing something or to stop (something) from happening

THWART Defined for Kids

thwart

play

verb \ ˈthwȯrt \

Definition of thwart for Students

thwarted; thwarting

:to stop from happening or succeeding

Police thwarted the crime.

Learn More about thwart

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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thwart

Definition of thwart

thwarter

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thwart was our Word of the Day on 07/12/2013. Hear the podcast!

Examples of thwart in a Sentence

Recent Examples of thwart from the Web

Did You Know?

Origin and Etymology of thwart

thwart Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of thwart

thwart

Definition of thwart

Origin and Etymology of thwart

thwart

Definition of thwart

thwartly

First Known Use of thwart

thwart

Definition of thwart

Recent Examples of thwart from the Web

Origin and Etymology of thwart

THWART Defined for English Language Learners

thwart

Definition of thwart for English Language Learners

THWART Defined for Kids

thwart

Definition of thwart for Students

Learn More about thwart

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