thwarted

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "thwarted" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe the act of preventing someone from accomplishing something or hindering progress. Example: "Despite their best efforts, the team's plans were thwarted by unforeseen circumstances."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Contrary to the claims by NSA defenders that the surveillance being conducted is legal, the Obama DOJ has repeatedly thwarted any efforts to obtain judicial rulings on whether this law is consistent with the Fourth Amendment or otherwise legal.

The Guardian - Opinion

The visitors continued to press, and when Austin's shot was beaten away by Fielding, Chris McCann's attempt to get to the rebound was thwarted when he was sent sprawling by James Bailey.

The Guardian - Sport

McConnell and his colleagues who opposed reform were thwarted in their efforts by a growing backlash by Senate Republicans and, in particular, his Kentucky colleague, Senator Rand Paul.

The Guardian

David Cameron's ambition of seeing elected "Boris-style" mayors across Britain was thwarted on Friday after voters in nine English cities rejected the idea by referendum.

The Guardian

Dervis Eroglu, his conservative predecessor, had a hawkish approach that from the outset of his five-year tenure thwarted negotiations.

The Guardian

"I've always liked the five, it's a number I always do well with," said Baffert, the Hall of Fame trainer who has been thwarted in three previous Triple Crown tries, with Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998) and War Emblem (2002).

The Guardian - Sport

It says efforts to contain the spread were thwarted by "political blockages".

The Guardian

"Israel thwarted the contacts that could have brought peace," said chief Palestinian negotiator Azzam al-Ahmed.

The Guardian

For the golden era of Ukrainian national identity was not tsarist Russia – where Ukrainian national self-assertion was thwarted – but the first decade of the Soviet Union, when Soviet policy in a Ukraine exhausted by war and famine was "indigenisation".

The Guardian

Rodallega could have had a hat-trick while Asmir Begovic thwarted Mario Melchiot, who had combined with the Colombian.

The Guardian - Sport

The IDF released infared video of the attack being thwarted.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "thwarted" when you want to emphasize that an effort or plan was actively prevented from succeeding, often implying a direct opposition or intervention.

Common error

Avoid using "thwarted" to simply describe something that didn't happen. Ensure the subject was actively working towards something and was then blocked. For example, instead of saying "His success was thwarted", consider "His ambition was thwarted by the economic crisis".

Linguistic Context

The word "thwarted" functions primarily as a verb in the past tense or as a past participle. It describes the action of preventing someone's plans or efforts from succeeding. As Ludwig AI indicates, it's grammatically correct and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Formal & Business

18%

Science

14%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "thwarted" is a versatile verb used to describe the act of preventing something from happening, often implying a direct opposition. According to Ludwig AI, the word "thwarted" is correct and usable in written English. Examples from news sources like The Guardian and The Economist demonstrate its common use in describing political, economic, and strategic situations. While alternatives like "prevented" or "obstructed" exist, "thwarted" carries a nuanced implication of active opposition and frustrated intent, making it a valuable addition to one's vocabulary. Remember to use it actively, focusing on what or who did the thwarting.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

prevented

This alternative is a more direct and commonly used synonym, suggesting a simple act of stopping something from happening.

obstructed

This alternative implies that progress was made difficult or blocked, often by a physical or metaphorical barrier.

hindered

This alternative suggests that progress was slowed down or made more difficult, but not necessarily stopped completely.

impeded

This alternative is similar to "hindered", but often implies a more significant or forceful obstruction.

frustrated

This alternative emphasizes the feeling of being prevented from achieving a goal, focusing on the emotional impact.

defeated

This alternative is used when someone loses a competition, game, fight etc. so the other wins

nullified

This alternative emphasizes the reversal of the plan with no results.

stymied

This alternative suggests a puzzling or unexpected obstacle that blocks progress.

circumvented

This alternative implies successfully avoiding or getting around an obstacle, contrasting with the failure implied by "thwarted".

scotched

This alternative, meaning to decisively put an end to, often implies completely ruining a plan or rumor.

FAQs

How can I use "thwarted" in a sentence?

Use "thwarted" to describe an action or plan that has been actively prevented or obstructed. For instance, "The enemy's advance was thwarted by the brave soldiers".

What's a good alternative to using "thwarted"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "prevented", "obstructed", or "hindered". Each carries a slightly different nuance of obstruction.

Is it correct to say "thwarted from"?

While not grammatically incorrect, it's more common and natural to say something was simply "thwarted" rather than "thwarted from". For instance, say "The plan was thwarted" instead of "The plan was thwarted from succeeding".

What is the difference between "thwarted" and "defeated"?

"Thwarted" means that a plan or action was prevented from succeeding, while "defeated" means that someone or something lost a battle or competition. "Thwarted" focuses on prevention, while "defeated" focuses on the outcome of a contest.