Stymie

THWART

Think of a five-letter word meaning to block someone’s plans with a silent "T" at the start.

"Stymie" is a verb meaning to hinder or block progress, which directly matches "thwart." Both words imply stopping someone or something from succeeding, making them near-synonyms in this context. The clue plays it straight with no wordplay—it’s a simple definition where the answer is a slightly more formal or literary alternative to the clue. If you’ve heard "thwart" in phrases like "thwart a plan," it fits perfectly here.