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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During one heated exchange, immigration agents who did not want to be captured on body camera footage refused to invite FBI agents along for an arrest operation, one of the sources said.—
Josh Campbell,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025 -
According to Film Workers for Palestine, the pledge was inspired by Filmmakers United Against Apartheid, a group founded by high-profile directors such as Jonathan Demme and Martin Scorsese, which demanded that the film industry refuse to distribute work in South Africa.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The council had already rejected Allied once before, months earlier, over settlements — including back wages — that the company has had to pay out to current and former employees.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
17 Oct. 2025
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Teachers, students, and parents alike rejected the $850 million effort.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Hoyer declined to speculate on whether the major-league payroll would receive a boost after Wrigley Field hosted two playoff rounds.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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The sentiment has affected Gulf IPOs, which are expected to decline to their lowest level since 2021.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Joshua Karty also missed a 26-yard field goal, and Rams coach Sean McVay passed up kicking another short one to instead go for it on 4th-and-3 in the fourth quarter.—
The Athletic NFL Staff,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
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Peeke’s pass up the middle from his own zone got knocked down in the neutral zone.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
12 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2025.
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