as in refused
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 balked (at)
Verb
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The county, however, refused to comply with the order to close in that case and has continued operating Los Padrinos in defiance.—
Jason Henry,
Daily News,
17 Apr. 2026 -
Police attempted to stop the vehicle, but the suspect refused, prompting a police chase.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Orbán rejected the accusations and denounced them as interference in Hungary’s sovereignty.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Richie said the company rejected the settlement demand and argued the state's workers' compensation program is the exclusive remedy for any injury in the workplace.—
Nicole Valdes,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In an email, Gardner declined to comment on the specifics of the situation.—
Marvin Hurst,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
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The prosecutor declined to comment further to AP pending further investigation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Balked (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balked%20%28at%29. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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