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Try to compile a long list of words in English that begin with “thw,” and prepare to be thwarted in your attempt: there aren’t many, and a goodly portion of those that do exist, such as thwartwise and the now-obsolete thwartsaw, start with thwart itself. Today we mostly use thwart as a verb to mean “to defeat or oppose successfully” but a lesser-known meaning of the word is “to pass through or across.” And it’s that sense that points to the origin of this odd-sounding word. In early Middle English, thwert was an adverb meaning “across” or “transversely,” used to describe how something lies across the length of something else. The verb thwerten came from this adverb and eventually became thwart. The link between the meanings becomes clear if you think of thwarting a plan, effort, etc., as blocking a road or path, thereby impeding another’s progress. And if you’re at cross-purposes with someone, you two are mutually—even if unintentionally—thwarting each other’s plans.
Synonyms
Examples of thwart in a Sentence
Sebastian Shukla, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024
But, for decades, congressional Republicans, heavily supported by the gun lobby, have largely thwarted firearms restrictions, including an attempt to revive the assault weapons ban in 2022.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024
At some point, two other male passengers grabbed Neely’s arms, further thwarting his escape.
—Victoria Bekiempis, Rolling Stone, 13 Oct. 2024
Non-scientists may still think that way, but research is painting a different picture: about 40% of all cancers could be thwarted by mitigating certain risk factors, especially through a healthier lifestyle.
—Matt Fuchs, TIME, 10 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for thwart 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thwart.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Thwart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thwart. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
thwart
1 of 4 verbthwart
2 of 4 adverb
thwart
3 of 4 adjectivethwart
4 of 4 nounVerb
Middle English thwerten (verb) "oppose, hinder," from thwert (adverb) "across"
Adverb
Middle English thwert "across"; of Norse origin
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