as in frustrated
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
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Recent Examples of balked
Hospitals are largely responsible for financing seismic construction upgrades, and the California Hospital Association has balked at the cost.
—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
28 June 2026
Many people quickly balked that degrees such as nursing, accounting, architecture and physical therapy were excluded and confined to loan limits of $20,500 annually and $100,000 over a lifetime.
—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
26 June 2026
Jolie balked at the term and struck a $64 million deal with the billionaire alcohol magnate, Yuri Shefler.
—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
26 June 2026
Since no one balked at last year’s $400 melon, the same shop owners introduced a $150 grape juice shipped in from Nagano, Japan; in Amagansett, an $80 blueberry pie is already regularly selling out before the weekend’s over.
—
Mark Seliger,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
Accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire in Lebanon, Iran balked at attending talks planned Friday, the first since the Iranian and US presidents signed the 14-clause memorandum of understanding (MoU) earlier in the week.
—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
Though her vault was near-perfect, the rookie balked on her first attempt, incurring a full-point neutral deduction.
—
Caroline Price,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Talks in Switzerland were postponed Iranian officials balked at starting the talks with Vance in Switzerland because of the Israeli action in Lebanon, according to the person familiar with the White House and Iranian positions.
—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
But insurers balked, so the government is instead extending the transitional coverage program, called Bridge, until the end of next year.
—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
16 June 2026
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
28 June 2026
Many people quickly balked that degrees such as nursing, accounting, architecture and physical therapy were excluded and confined to loan limits of $20,500 annually and $100,000 over a lifetime.
—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
26 June 2026
Jolie balked at the term and struck a $64 million deal with the billionaire alcohol magnate, Yuri Shefler.
—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
26 June 2026
Since no one balked at last year’s $400 melon, the same shop owners introduced a $150 grape juice shipped in from Nagano, Japan; in Amagansett, an $80 blueberry pie is already regularly selling out before the weekend’s over.
—
Mark Seliger,
Vulture,
22 June 2026
Accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire in Lebanon, Iran balked at attending talks planned Friday, the first since the Iranian and US presidents signed the 14-clause memorandum of understanding (MoU) earlier in the week.
—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
Though her vault was near-perfect, the rookie balked on her first attempt, incurring a full-point neutral deduction.
—
Caroline Price,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Talks in Switzerland were postponed Iranian officials balked at starting the talks with Vance in Switzerland because of the Israeli action in Lebanon, according to the person familiar with the White House and Iranian positions.
—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
But insurers balked, so the government is instead extending the transitional coverage program, called Bridge, until the end of next year.
—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
16 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balked
Verb
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Some women are frustrated, worried they are being left behind.
-
Yet from No Child Left Behind through the push for the Common Core into today’s zeal for science of reading, policy leaders are frustrated that the version of policy that occurs in the classroom does not match their vision.
Verb
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His mother, Ahmani Hicks, describes him as a kid who loved sports, and she's baffled as to why her son was targeted.
-
Known as the Galactic Center Excess, a spherical gamma-ray glow extending out for thousands of light-years from the core of our galaxy, this high-energy light has baffled researchers for over a decade.
Verb
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Chwalińska took a medical timeout for an ankle injury at the end of the game and was clearly hampered by it for the rest of the match.
-
Securing reservations at elite restaurants and bars has become a competitive, multi-billion dollar market, often hampered by bots and fragmented systems.
Verb
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Nicolas Pepe had a shot from roughly 10 yards out that was thwarted by Norway goalkeeper Orjan Haskjold Nyland with his leg.
-
The development of lifesaving medications can be thwarted by too much caution in not tolerating some potential side effects.
Cite this Entry
“Balked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balked. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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