THWART Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'thwart' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of thwart are baffle , balk , foil , and frustrate . While all these words mean "to check or defeat another's plan or block achievement of a goal," thwart suggests frustration or checking by crossing or opposing. // the army thwarted his attempt at a coup

Q: When is 'baffle' a more appropriate choice than 'thwart'?

The synonyms baffle and thwart are sometimes interchangeable, but baffle implies frustration by confusing or puzzling. // baffled by the maze of rules and regulations

Q: When is it sensible to use 'balk' instead of 'thwart'?

The meanings of balk and thwart largely overlap; however, balk suggests the interposing of obstacles or hindrances. // officials felt that legal restrictions had balked their efforts to control crime

Q: In what contexts can 'foil' take the place of 'thwart'?

In some situations, the words foil and thwart are roughly equivalent. However, foil implies checking or defeating so as to discourage further effort. // foiled by her parents, he stopped trying to see her

Q: When could 'frustrate' be used to replace 'thwart'?

The words frustrate and thwart are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, frustrate implies making vain or ineffectual all efforts however vigorous or persistent. // frustrated attempts at government reform

thwart

verb

ˈthwȯrt

Definition of thwart next

as in to frustrate

to prevent from achieving a goal a coalition of grassroots organizations thwarted the company's efforts to get approval for a new power plant

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How does the verb thwart differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of thwart are baffle, balk, foil, and frustrate. While all these words mean "to check or defeat another's plan or block achievement of a goal," thwart suggests frustration or checking by crossing or opposing.

the army thwarted his attempt at a coup

When is baffle a more appropriate choice than thwart?

The synonyms baffle and thwart are sometimes interchangeable, but baffle implies frustration by confusing or puzzling.

baffled by the maze of rules and regulations

When is it sensible to use balk instead of thwart?

The meanings of balk and thwart largely overlap; however, balk suggests the interposing of obstacles or hindrances.

officials felt that legal restrictions had balked their efforts to control crime

In what contexts can foil take the place of thwart?

In some situations, the words foil and thwart are roughly equivalent. However, foil implies checking or defeating so as to discourage further effort.

foiled by her parents, he stopped trying to see her

When could frustrate be used to replace thwart?

The words frustrate and thwart are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, frustrate implies making vain or ineffectual all efforts however vigorous or persistent.

frustrated attempts at government reform

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 thwart The early Tuesday morning release of the volume of Smith’s report dealing with Trump’s efforts to thwart the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 election gave the special counsel a chance to get the last word on a prosecution cut short by Trump’s reelection. —

Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2025 The next obstacle, however, is every bad guy's dream and not great news for law enforcement: a 13-ft (4-m) stretch of metal spikes – the kind of thing police use to thwart high speed chases. —

New Atlas, 9 Jan. 2025 The Supreme Court’s immunity ruling in July effectively thwarted a federal criminal case against Mr. Trump for his effort to subvert the 2020 election results. —

Ben Protess, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025 The Russian Defense Ministry claimed the attack had been thwarted. —

Natasha Frost, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for thwart

Recent Examples of Synonyms for thwart

Verb

And with all the investigative resources and research methods of academia, I have been frustrated by the death of expertise on social media platforms that value high-frequency reactions and often baseless punditry—not rigor.

— Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
The most recent deadline extensions weren’t announced until the day before the vouchers were set to expire, which frustrated him.

— Nora O’Neill, Charlotte Observer, 17 Jan. 2025