athwart 1 of 2

adverb

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

ə-ˈthwȯrt How to pronounce athwart (audio)
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 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
  1. through
  2. diagonally
  3. across
  4. over
  5. around
Adverb
  • Brush remaining sauce over fillet and broil until deeply charred and salmon is opaque all the way through, about 5 minutes.
    — Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Younger children play at the soccer fields in the complex, including the one where the truck came barreling through, Trammell said.
    — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of through
Adverb
  • During demonstrations, the researchers folded the material diagonally in opposite directions, and its digital counterpart followed the changing geometry.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Jeans were cut on the bias — diagonally across the fabric — to change their fall.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of diagonally
Preposition
  • The Philly shoegaze band calls on friends from across genres for a wide-spanning compilation that’s equal parts label sampler, B-sides showcase, and assembly of rising stars.
    — Abby Jones, Pitchfork, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Decodo, a web data company, tracked price changes in 2025 across products ranging from electronics to clothing and home improvement supplies.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of across
Adverb
  • Damn it, the string of excellent Survivor episodes where the votes and strategies kept changing as people ran around and politicked is now over.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The hotter and bluer white dwarfs are mostly brighter, so they can be seen from further away and are over-represented in surveys that only look at a star’s brightness.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of over
Preposition
  • Vocals strain at the center of the songs while lonesome organs burn around the margins like the argon glow of a street-sign montage.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Many metro stations were closed Saturday at police request, including those around the Champs-Elysées and near the presidential palace, Parliament and government offices.
    — SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of around

Browse Nearby Words

a throw
athwart
atilt
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Athwart.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/athwart. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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