 Thornton akabviswa muchikamu chekutanga cheWorld Championship kekutanga muhupenyu hwake muna 2016, apo iye aigona chete kutora makumbo matatu kure Alan Norris mune 30 kukundwa. Akasiya 8-0 achitungamirira mumutambo wokutanga weMasters kuti akundwe 10-9 naDave Chisnall. Pahusiku hwokutanga hwePremier League, Thornton akaita avhareji yemakumi manomwe neshanu nesere sezvo Chisnall akamupfura 70. Akangokunda mitambo miviri bedzi mumitambo 16 kuti apedze ari wechisere patafura. Thornton akarohwa muchikamu chechipiri cheUK Open 64 naArron Monk. Thornton akatambura kumwe kurasikirwa kukuru kuChisnall, nguva ino 112 mumutambo wechipiri weWorld Matchplay uye akarohwa 21 mumaseti naStephen Bunting mumutambo wekutanga weWorld Grand Prix. Akarasikirwa mumutambo wekutanga weEuropean Championship 64 kuna Cristo Reyes uye akabatanidzwa mumutambo wepfumbamwe wepfumbamwe paGrand Slam mushure mokunge Thornton naDimitri Van den Bergh vose vakunda miviri yemitambo yavo mitatu uye vakavharwa nemumwe mutsara mumwe chete. Thornton akakunda nemapoinzi 345 kusvika ku340 uye akabva akundwa 10-5 naMichael van Gerwen mumutambo wechipiri. Mushure mekurasikirwa ne6-3 naAdrian Lewis mumutambo wekutanga weVatambi veChikwata Chekupedzisira, zvaireva kuti Thornton haana kufambira mberi kupfuura chikamu chechipiri chechiitiko chikuru muna 2016. 