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
Relevance
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
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
The teams scored eight runs in a 46-minute first inning, which featured seven walks, a hit batter, an umpires conference, two balks, all nine batters for both teams coming to the plate.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 28 July 2025
The County Council balked a few times after the Fair Board drew up plans, but after nearly 20 years, the project went forward.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for balk
Noun
Dodgers After pregame trade disrupts Giants, Dodgers power their way to series victory
June 15, 2025
Tatis was allowed to stay on second, and eventually came around to score when Michael Kopech entered the game and stumbled on a throw with the bases loaded, resulting in a run-scoring balk.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025
The teams scored eight runs in a 46-minute first inning, which featured seven walks, a hit batter, an umpires conference, two balks, all nine batters for both teams coming to the plate.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025
Verb
But committee member Neal Zuckerman balked at the proposal Monday.
—Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 28 July 2025
The County Council balked a few times after the Fair Board drew up plans, but after nearly 20 years, the project went forward.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for balk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balk
Noun
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This pattern of persecution, especially when combined with ongoing habitat loss, has likely contributed to low recruitment and remains a major obstacle to population recovery.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
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Extreme heat can also be an obstacle to exercising, spending time in nature, and socializing, all of which can make people feel good and also double as important coping mechanisms for emotional distress.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
26 July 2025
Verb
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The men's families and supporters were frustrated with the pace of the hearing.—
Christina Hall,
Freep.com,
31 July 2025
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Not being able to offer a heart-lung transplant in Austin frustrates Fraser.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Noun
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Uranium enrichment, nuclear power plants and data centers are among potential plans for the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, although significant hurdles remain.—
Connor Giffin,
The Courier-Journal,
5 Aug. 2025
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Below, members of Forbes Technology Council reveal common hurdles teams face when scaling production AI—and share practical strategies for overcoming them.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Thus, they are thwarted in their villainous intentions to use AGI and ASI to be criminal collaborators.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
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If your home’s humidity is consistently over 60%, consider buying a dehumidifier to thwart mold, Chew says.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
28 July 2025
Noun
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The episode marks another embarrassment for the Secret Service, following a beleaguered year for the organization.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
29 July 2025
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One student talked about the vulnerability and embarrassment of having to go to a TA's office hours for help and the flexibility of having multi-hour tutoring sessions available via ChatGPT at any time of the day.—
Kyle Orland,
ArsTechnica,
29 July 2025
Verb
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Knight was left off the two-night, 11-match SummerSlam card entirely, a decision that baffled and angered his supporters.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Aug. 2025
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She’s equally baffled by the widespread use of artificial intelligence.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Fain refused to provide records requested by the monitor, constituting an obstruction of transparency and cooperation.—
Liam Rappleye,
Freep.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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Winner of the 1989 Academy Award for Documentary Feature, this moving film explores the human stories obscured by statistics, examining the cross-section of identities affected by HIV/AIDS, as well as efforts to combat the stigma, misinformation, and political obstruction that deepened the crisis.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The researchers did not clarify whether breaking down brain glycogen could stop human brain cells from dying, Okun noted.—
Shiv Sudhakar,
FOXNews.com,
4 Aug. 2025
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Women capitalized on remote work and flexibility during the pandemic and stopped exiting the labor force, research shows.—
Alana Semuels,
Time,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Balk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balk. Accessed 11 Aug. 2025.
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