as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
the constant interruptions proved to be a balk to the flow of conversation
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to frustrate
to prevent from achieving a goal
a young man with big dreams who refused to be balked by the many challenges he faced in making them a reality
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of balk
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 17 May 2025
That loaded the bases, brought in Logan Gillaspie and brought up No.9 hitter Carson Kelly, who lined out to shortstop — but not before Gillaspie stopped in the middle of his windup, the umpires conferred for a full three minutes and charged him with a balk, bringing in a run.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 15 June 2025
Tehran had balked at giving up enrichment, seemingly leaving little room for an agreement.
—Steve Holland, USA Today, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for balk
Noun
Tyler Freeman led off with a single, advanced to second on Ryan Thompson’s balk, and scored on Michael Toglia’s double to left-center.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 17 May 2025
That loaded the bases, brought in Logan Gillaspie and brought up No.9 hitter Carson Kelly, who lined out to shortstop — but not before Gillaspie stopped in the middle of his windup, the umpires conferred for a full three minutes and charged him with a balk, bringing in a run.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
Verb
Lopez balked moments later as both runners moved up 90 feet in front of Vinnie Pasquantino.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 15 June 2025
Tehran had balked at giving up enrichment, seemingly leaving little room for an agreement.
—Steve Holland, USA Today, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for balk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balk
Noun
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Listen to this article The path back to the pinnacle was littered with obstacles.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
21 June 2025
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But there’s a major obstacle: municipalities, not the national government, are responsible for managing stray animals.—
Lisa Klaassen,
CNN Money,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Retailers have sought to prevent theft without compromising the customer experience as traditional approaches such as locking up products can frustrate shoppers and have been found to lower sales.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
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A number of Republicans are becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of tariff deals from President Trump two weeks away from a July 8 deadline that could lead to the reinstating of heavy tariffs on imports from around the world.—
Alex Gangitano,
The Hill,
22 June 2025
Noun
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Those are hurdles for many of the most vulnerable populations in low- and middle-income countries, many of whom are young adults.—
Alice Park,
Time,
18 June 2025
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All of these had been manageable hurdles this postseason.—
Tony East,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Verb
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Bill Daly is a former FBI investigator who worked to thwart terror attacks and dealt with foreign counterintelligence.—
Peter D'Abrosca , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2025
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Nena Farrell The Best Bike Locks and Ebike Locks Our favorite bike locks for every ride, including new locks designed to thwart angle grinders.—
Parker Hall,
Wired News,
21 June 2025
Noun
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Who’s to blame for the embarrassment that has become Lincoln Yards?—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2025
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The problem with toughing it out alone, though, is that a lot of people will continue to isolate themselves for weeks, Brown says, whether out of embarrassment, fear, or pride.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
24 June 2025
Verb
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When Burrell wasn’t tapped to join the show’s 28th season in January — after playing a central role in the first 27 — viewers were appalled and even Burrell was baffled.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
18 June 2025
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What baffles researchers is that some people who suffer from chronic pain report not having a past injury or evidence of illness.—
Nicole Pajer,
People.com,
17 June 2025
Noun
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The 71-year-old was convicted in July 2024 of 16 counts, including extortion, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and acting as a foreign agent.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
18 June 2025
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According to records from the DeKalb County jail, where the reporter remains detained, he was charged with improperly entering a pedestrian roadway, obstruction of law enforcement officers and unlawful assembly.—
Marlon Sorto,
CNN Money,
17 June 2025
Verb
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State police finally stopped the car on a rural road outside of Huntsville, north of Houston.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
17 June 2025
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Nearly as important, though, is the fact that streaming continues to be a sizable fount of new viewers even after on-air and DVR viewing essentially stops.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Balk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balk. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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