athwart
1 of 2preposition
ə-ˈthwȯrt 
nautical often -ˈthȯrt
1
: across
2
: in opposition to
a procedure directly athwart the New England prejudices
R. G. Cole
R. G. Coleathwart
2 of 2adverb
1
: across especially in an oblique direction
2
: in opposition to the right or expected course
and quite athwart goes all decorum William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
Synonyms
Preposition
- across
- over
- through
Adverb
- across
- over
- through
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Preposition athwart the road was farmland as far as the eye could see Adverb after it enters the Gulf of Mexico, the hurricane is predicted to advance athwart to the Texas coastline we hung the twisted strips of crepe paper athwart to the floor and ceiling so that they formed giant crosses on all four walls
Recent Examples on the Web 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 24th, apparently blown off course by high winds. The Economist, 24 Mar. 2021 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 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 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, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2020 Indeed, instead of ostentatious acts of helping people, the administration almost preferred being seen standing athwart attempts to provide relief. Alex Pareene, The New Republic, 20 Dec. 2019 See More
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 24th, apparently blown off course by high winds. The Economist, 24 Mar. 2021 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 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 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, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2020 Indeed, instead of ostentatious acts of helping people, the administration almost preferred being seen standing athwart attempts to provide relief. Alex Pareene, The New Republic, 20 Dec. 2019 See More Word History
First Known Use
Preposition
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adverb
circa 1500, in the meaning defined at sense 1
athwart 1 of 2
adverb
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
- through
- across
- over
- clear
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
- diagonally
- across
- transversely
- crosswise
- obliquely
- crossways
- catty-corner
- catercorner
- catty-cornered
- bias
- kitty-cornered
- on the diagonal
- catercornered
- on the bias
- cornerwise
- kitty-corner
- cornerways
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- longitudinally
- lengthwise
athwart
2 of 2preposition
as in across
to the opposite side of athwart the road was farmland as far as the eye could see Synonyms & Similar Words
- across
- over
- through
- around
- round
- past
- beyond
- queso
- quest
- questant
- quested
- quester
- questers
- questeur
- questhouse
- questing
- questingly
- questings
- question
- question and answer session
- question mark
- question master
- question of privilege
- question time
- question-begging
- questionabilities
- questionable
- questionableness
- questionablenesses
- questionably
- questionaries
- questionary