thwart

verb

\ ˈthwȯrt

thwarted; thwarting; thwarts

Definition of thwart

(Entry 1 of 4)

transitive verb

1a : 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

thwart

adverb

\ ˈthwȯrt

, naut often ˈthȯrt\

Definition of thwart (Entry 2 of 4)

: athwart

thwart

adjective

Definition of thwart (Entry 3 of 4)

: situated or placed across something else : transverse

thwart

noun

Definition of thwart (Entry 4 of 4)

: a seat extending athwart a boat

Other Words from thwart Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about thwart

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Choose the Right Synonym for thwart

Verb

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

Did You Know?

Verb

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").

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

His plan was thwarted in part by the Carrabelle Hurricane's destruction of the Fox, which carried many of his supplies. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Hurricane Michael Unearths Ships Destroyed in 1899 Hurricane," 22 Oct. 2018 Well ahead of many other scholars, Burns thrashed FDR for signing Executive Order 9066, which compelled the internment of Japanese Americans, and for failing to do more to thwart the Holocaust. — Michael Beschloss, WSJ, "Five Best: Michael Beschloss on Books About Wartime Presidents," 11 Oct. 2018 McMahon, the professional wrestling matriarch and Donald Trump’s Small Business Administrator, was twice thwarted in her bids for the U.S. Senate in 2010 and 2012 despite $100 million in personal spending. — Neil Vigdor, courant.com, "Joe Ganim Approaches $800K Fundraising Mark In Governor's Race," 9 July 2018 An Osprey with weapons could also thwart enemy ground attacks from RPGs, MANPADS or small arms fire. — Kris Osborn, Fox News, "Marine Corps arms Osprey with rockets and missiles - adds assault missions," 6 July 2018 Mitchell Schroeder’s sacrifice fly enabled Brookline to get a run back in the bottom of the sixth, but the Warriors were thwarted from the comeback by a game-ending 6-4-3 double play in the seventh. — Karl Capen, BostonGlobe.com, "Braintree edges Brookline in D1 South baseball playoffs," 12 June 2018 Twitter plans to add new labels to the accounts of political candidates in the upcoming 2018 midterm election in an effort to thwart fraudsters from creating fake accounts and sowing confusion. — Jonathan Vanian, Fortune, "Twitter Has a New Plan to Keep Imposters from Sowing Confusion During the Midterm Elections," 23 May 2018 With the international community determined to rebuild the decimated and feeble Haitian police force, the U.S. used its enormous leverage over the fragile Latortue government to thwart plans to reinstate the army. — Jacqueline Charles, miamiherald, "Haiti has a new army with much of the old leadership. Some in the U.S. aren’t happy | Miami Herald," 26 Mar. 2018 Thanks to the blockchain, this year users managed to preserve censored information in ways that thwarted the government’s fast-growing censorship efforts. — Shannon Liao, The Verge, "2018 was the year Chinese internet users evaded censorship — briefly," 20 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Germany has previously had success with American intelligence information helping thwart plots, most notably in 2007 in stopping a plan to bomb the U.S. Air Force's Ramstein Air Base in southern Germany. — David Rising, Fox News, "German teenager arrested in gay club bomb attack plan," 13 Sep. 2018 The center yoke thwart is perfectly balanced for one-person portages. — The Editors, Outside Online, "REI Is Having an Huge Sale on Water Sports Gear," 18 May 2018

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.