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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The search giant has refused to license content from news organizations and publishers, while other AI labs have done licensing deals.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025 -
For Jordan, that battle has meant staying grounded in his faith and refusing to let the disease isolate him.—
Essence,
Essence,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But Democrats have long conceded that the party needs a new vision after voters soundly rejected their presidential ticket last fall, and internal squabbles about the party’s future have spilled out into the public.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Sep. 2025
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China has rejected the accusation and accused the Philippines of damaging the coral reef ecosystem in the waterway instead.—
Nectar Gan,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Ross, one of the Democrats to decline AIPAC money, is a relative centrist, according to a GovTrack scorecard, while Foushee and McGarvey, Kentucky’s only House Democrat, are in the middle of the pack ideologically.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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That has declined over the years because of budget constraints.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Speaking to reporters on Thursday, the former Dallas Cowboys sack artist couldn't pass up an opportunity to throw shade at Green Bay's Week 1 opponent and new division rival, the Detroit Lions.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
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Silksong just passed up yesterday’s 562,000 concurrent Steam playercount record, a stunning number for a $20 indie game, though obviously boosted by its mythological status after seven years of waiting from fans.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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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 16 Sep. 2025.
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