Latexes are thicknened by a blend of a urethane compound effective as an associative thickener and a non-urethane compound of the formula: R.sup.1 --(O--A).sub.a --B.sup.1 --R.sup.2 --(B.sup.2 --R.sup.3).sub.d --(B.sup.3 --(A'--O).sub.b-f --(A'--B.sup.4).sub.f --R.sup.4 --(B.sup.5 --R.sup.5).sub.e).sub.n --B.sup.6 --(A"O).sub.c --R.sup.6, wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.6 are monovalent hydrophobic groups independently selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic group, a substituted aliphatic group, an aromatic group, and a substituted aromatic group; R.sup.2 and R.sup.4 are independently selected from the group consisting of aliphatic, substituted aliphatic, aromatic, or substituted aromatic radicals, each radical being divalent or trivalent; R.sup.3 and R.sup.5 are independently selected from hydrogen, lower alkyl and lower aralkyl; B.sup.1, B.sup.2, B.sup.3, B.sup.4, B.sup.5 and B.sup.6 are linking groups independently selected from the group consisting of an oxygen atom (to form the ether linkage --O--), a carboxylated group (to form an ester linkage R.sup.2 --C(O)--O-- and/or R.sup.4 --C(O)--O--, an amino group to form the amine linkage R.sup.2 --N(R)-- and/or R.sup.4 --N(R)--, wherein R is hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower aralkyl, or lower acyl), and an amido group (to form the amide linkage R.sup.2 --N(R)--C(O)-- and or R.sup.4 --N(R)--C(O)--, wherein R is hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower aralkyl, or lower acyl); each of a, b, c, d, e, f and n are integers, wherein each of a and c are independently any integer from greater than 20 to about 200; b is any integer from greater than 20 to about 450; d, e, and f are zero or 1; and n is any integer from 1 to about 5; and each of A, A' and A" is independently an ethylene, 1,2-propylene, 1,2-butylene unit or combinations thereof.