English vocabulary · B2
Thwart
/θwɔːrt/ · v.
It means to stop someone from doing what they want — to block their plan or effort before it works.
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Example sentences
- The bad weather thwarted their trip to the mountains.
- She thwarted his plan with one phone call.
Word origin and roots
from Old Norse
- thvert — across (from Old Norse)
Synonyms and nuances
- STOP — make something not happen (General & Neutral)
- BLOCK — put something in the way (Physical or Direct)
- FOIL — cleverly prevent a plan (Clever or Dramatic)
Similar words
- foil
- block
- stop
Lesson notes
Thwart. It means to stop someone from doing what they want — to block their plan or effort before it works.
Similar words are stop, block, and foil. Use thwart when someone actively prevents a plan from succeeding.
The bad weather thwarted their trip to the mountains. She thwarted his plan with one phone call.
From Old Norse. Thvert- means across. Something placed across your path to block you — that is thwart.