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 stories below belong to 13 Black women who refused to be reduced to a statistic.—
Ayren Jackson-Cannady,
SELF,
29 May 2026 -
Allen refused to unload the bike, which weighed roughly 300 pounds, according to court records.—
Rose Evans
Updated May 29,
Idaho Statesman,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The ceasefire hinged on an end to Hezbollah attacks, but the group was not party to the talks and its leader rejected the pact.—
Frederik Pleitgen,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
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That ad, like the others, was rejected by WMATA, according to the lawsuit.—
Mike Stunson,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Enrollment declined the past two years at DU after years of growth, Rinehart said.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
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When asked about her challenging Qualls in a primary, her campaign declined to comment Saturday.—
Jimmy Lovrien,
Twin Cities,
31 May 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 7 Jun. 2026.
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