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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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
  • Especially women, with all those drunken servicemen rolling through, packs of them, fights spilling out of the cafés, catcalls and spitting in the streets.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
  • The passages won’t be large enough for bighorn — with their broad horns — to squeeze through, advocates say.
    Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
Adverb
  • The hotel is on the corner of Mission Street, which slices diagonally through the city, and the Embarcadero, which hugs the waterfront from the Bay Bridge west to Fisherman’s Wharf.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
  • However, due to manufacturing deadlines, each expansion team played its first season in a more generic jersey with the city name stitched diagonally across the front of the sweater, paying homage to the designs worn by the league’s original six teams in 2024.
    Max Bultman, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Preposition
  • Even still, Xi’s visit now, and his talk of deepening ties across trade, science and technology, is a sign that Beijing wants to reassert its position as Pyongyang’s primary partner.
    Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 9 June 2026
  • Nemecek described Rogers as one of the most influential communicators of the 20th century, whose reach extended across journalism, radio, film and public commentary.
    Daily News, Daily News, 9 June 2026
Adverb
  • Arraez was then picked off and the inning was over without Schmitt getting a chance to swing the bat.
    Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
  • So the Pep Guardiola era is over, with a domestic double in the bag and a season that suggests a refreshed Manchester City are on the right lines.
    Sam Lee, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Preposition
  • The airspace around St Petersburg international airport was restricted on Wednesday morning, leading to delays of around two dozen flights, the airport said in a statement.
    Helen Regan, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
  • Meals are served around the pool or at small tables in the open-air dining room (no need to share tables with fellow safari-goers).
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Athwart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/athwart. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.

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