athwart 1 of 2

Definition of athwartnext
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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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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for athwart
Adverb
  • Grit your way through, because the new tracks rock.
    Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Midway through, the conversation, as all conversations about important literature should, turns to Hungarians.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Mar. 2026
Adverb
  • One of them wore a dress with what looked like a clipping of a poster placed diagonally across her dress like a Miss Universe sash.
    José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Instead of allover stripes, expect to see razor-thin metallic stripes (like the barcode nail trend coming out of South Korea), curved bands that arc diagonally across a sheer base, or contrasting matte and gloss stripes layered in the same shade for a barely-there effect.
    Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 19 Feb. 2026
Preposition
  • Oil and gas facilities across the Middle East suffered fresh attacks, holding oil prices above $100 a barrel with no end in sight for the Iran war.
    Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 17 Mar. 2026
  • Sitting across the room from Bolcar on Monday morning, Chris Zorich, the former defensive tackle who grew up in Chicago and later played for the Chicago Bears, became emotional at the thought of how Holtz had helped him.
    Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Adverb
  • That put him at 2 over, still having to face the island green and the hardest hole at Sawgrass.
    Dallas Morning News, Dallas Morning News, 13 Mar. 2026
  • IndieWire picks 15 movies to check out over here.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 13 Mar. 2026
Preposition
  • Share credit, set boundaries around your time and money, and keep things grounded with an open list of your goals.
    Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
  • In its base-case scenario, disruptions to flows through the Strait of Hormuz over the next four to six weeks could remove as much as 11 million to 16 million barrels per day from the market, pushing Brent crude to around $110 to $120 a barrel.
    Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 18 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Athwart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/athwart. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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