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)
Verb
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Though the indignity ran deep, our ancestors refused to bow.—
John E. Jackson Sr,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026 -
Some of The View's live studio audience members welcomed Vice President JD Vance to the Hot Topics table by refusing to applaud.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Israel’s request to see the text was rejected by the US, an Israeli source told CNN.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
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The legal case, decided at an emergency hearing in a Los Angeles courthouse on Monday morning, was brought by an Iranian fan who said FIFA’s block impinged freedom of speech, but the judge rejected that argument.—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Verb
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In 2023, the year after five Tampa Bay Rays players declined to wear rainbow logos for Pride Night, Manfred said the league would no longer compel players to do so.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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Factors such as declining birth rates and families moving out of the city are contributing to declining enrollment at Denver Public Schools.—
Chierstin Roth,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
Verb
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And now the opportunity to get to travel to them with other fans, with other book lovers, just too good to pass up.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
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The Emmys’ producers passing up on even the slightest possibility of a Werner Herzog acceptance speech is sheer lunacy.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
20 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Balk (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balk%20%28at%29. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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