Synonyms of balked

balked

verb

past tense of balk

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• frustrated
• baffled
• hampered
• thwarted
• stopped
• defeated
• halted
• prevented
• foiled
• discomfited
• hindered
• impeded
• overcame
• blocked
• checkmated
• stalled
• beat
• obstructed
• arrested
• checked
• inhibited
• handicapped
• precluded
• hobbled
• barred
• encumbered
• shackled
• obviated
• averted
• tied up
• conquered
• interfered (with)
• held back
• clogged
• nullified
• set back
• forestalled
• neutralized
• negated
• counteracted
• fettered
• short-circuited
• offset
• manacled
• trammeled

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• encouraged
• advanced
• promoted
• forwarded
• cultivated
• assisted
• fostered
• aided
• furthered
• nurtured
• facilitated
• eased
• smoothed
• abetted

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of balked

The liberal justices balked at the logic and criticized the conservative majority for harming minority representation in politics and culture. — ABC News, 2 July 2026

Democratic and some Republican secretaries of state balked, and federal lawsuits followed. — Bill Barrow, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026

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