thwart

verb

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\ 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

, nautical 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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Synonyms & Antonyms for thwart

Synonyms: Verb

Antonyms: Verb

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 To be sure, a number of challenges could thwart the boom, Dimon said, including the risk of new COVID-19 variants and rising debt levels. — Jessica Menton, USA TODAY, "JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon sees post-pandemic boom for US economy," 7 Apr. 2021 The Democratic president’s infrastructure projects would be financed by higher corporate taxes — a trade-off that could lead to fierce resistance from the business community and thwart attempts to work with Republican lawmakers. — Jonathan Lemire, The Salt Lake Tribune, "Biden announces huge infrastructure plan to ‘win the future’," 1 Apr. 2021 The Democratic president’s infrastructure projects would be financed by higher corporate taxes — a trade-off that could lead to fierce resistance from the business community and thwart any attempts to work with Republicans lawmakers. — BostonGlobe.com, "Eager to build infrastructure, Biden plans to tax business," 31 Mar. 2021 The Democratic president's infrastructure projects would be financed by higher corporate taxes — a trade-off that could lead to fierce resistance from the business community and thwart attempts to work with Republican lawmakers. — Jonathan Lemire, Star Tribune, "Biden announces huge infrastructure plan to 'win the future'," 31 Mar. 2021 The Democratic president's infrastructure projects would be financed by higher corporate taxes — a trade-off that could lead to fierce resistance from the business community and thwart any attempts to work with Republicans lawmakers. — Arkansas Online, "Eager to build infrastructure, Biden plans to tax business," 31 Mar. 2021 Dodge is now offering a second layer of security on its Challenger and Charger sedans to thwart any attempts at taking these muscle cars out for joyrides. — Colin Beresford, Car and Driver, "Dodge Charger, Challenger Get Security Mode Limiting Power to 3 HP," 24 Mar. 2021 Spurs veteran Patty Mills buried what looked to be the clinching triple a few possessions later to thwart the comeback attempt, extending the San Antonio lead to 13 with two minutes remaining. — Chris Fedor, cleveland, "Cleveland Cavaliers start slow, can’t recover in 116-110 loss to San Antonio Spurs," 20 Mar. 2021 Amazon has been trying to thwart unionization, even as Bezos saw his fortune climb $58 billion to $176.6 billion during the pandemic. — Washington Post, "Sanders brings Amazon union battle to D.C., calling Bezos and warehouse worker to testify," 12 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Serving as captain of the maintop of the U.S.S. Pawnee in the attack upon Mathias Point, 26 June 1861, Williams told his men, while lying off in the boat, that every man must die on his thwart sooner than leave a man behind. — Drew Broach | Staff Writer, NOLA.com, "On Veterans Day, meet all 26 of Louisiana's Medal of Honor recipients," 10 Nov. 2020 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.