balk (at)

verb

Definition of balk (at)next
as in to refuse
to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to she balked at lending him any more money

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for balk (at)
  1. refuse
  2. reject
  3. decline
  4. pass up
Verb
  • OpenAI’s ChatGPT is now refusing requests to generate text that directly mimics the style of famous authors.
    — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 27 July 2026
  • Officials said a woman with minor injuries refused to be taken to a hospital.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 27 July 2026
Definition of refuse
Verb
  • After spending months negotiating a pricey purchase of the private fuel yard that keeps PortMiami ships running, two top deputies to Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava were shocked when their boss abruptly rejected the deal.
    — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 28 July 2026
  • Concerns Government staff forwarded a recommendation from the Landmarks Commission to reject the request.
    — Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026
Definition of reject
Verb
  • When reached by phone by CNN, one of the lead doctors for the trial, Yu Yongguo, declined to comment and hung up.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
  • The Pentagon declined to comment when contacted by CBS News for this story.
    — James LaPorta, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Definition of decline
Verb
  • However, the value at +188 to be a Top 10 finish in this field is too good to pass up, in my opinion.
    — Jeff Hartman, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • So long as the Tigers can extract a fair return — and the offers might matter more than the results of their games — the package for Skubal could be too good to pass up for the long-term health of the organization.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 28 July 2026
Definition of pass up
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

balkanized
balk (at)
balked
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Balk (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balk%20%28at%29. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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