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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
  • On Friday, a very strong cold front will move through.
    Joseph Dames, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
  • Put in other terms, this means that if a ship is simply passing through, without doing anything else and without harming the security of the coastal countries, it must be allowed passage.
    Elizabeth Mendenhall, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026
Adverb
  • The Studio Display's screen is a 27-inch (measured diagonally) 5K Retina display with a resolution of 5,120 by 2,880 pixels and a pixel density of 218 pixels per inch (ppi).
    Tony Hoffman, PC Magazine, 11 Apr. 2026
  • Nearby, men drill the girders of a bridge; the iron beams make bold crisscrosses, moving the eye diagonally.
    Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
Preposition
  • Administrators say those outcomes are consistent across cohorts, with Brown noting that improvements often extend beyond individual students and into their families and communities.
    Charlie Lapastora, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
  • All three unions that represent about 70,000 workers across the Los Angeles Unified School District had pledged to go on strike if any of the three did not reach a tentative agreement.
    ABC News, ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
Adverb
  • Even if the war is over, the country's already ailing economy now faces dire trouble — though sanctions relief and compensation are also in Iran's 10-point plan.
    Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 10 Apr. 2026
  • But at long last, the drought is over; the NHL has a new dynasty — the 2020s Hurricanes, who are hoisting the Jim Corsi Cup for a fourth straight season.
    Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Preposition
  • Spot gold, which is currently trading at around $4,838 per ounce, has fallen about 10% from its late-January peak, slipping into correction territory even as geopolitical risks intensify.
    Dylan Butts, CNBC, 15 Apr. 2026
  • While this is where the highest chance for rain will be, storms could develop off of this line, impacting other places around Western Pennsylvania.
    Ron Smiley, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Athwart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/athwart. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster