balked (at)

verb

past tense of balk (at)
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)
  1. refused
  2. rejected
  3. declined
Verb
  • But the breaking point came when his wife refused to let their young children near any of his half-century-old vehicles, which lacked air bags and the safety features standard in even the cheapest modern cars.
    — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 10 July 2026
  • The driver refused to comply with the officer’s commands and barricaded himself inside the home.
    — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026
Definition of refused
Verb
  • In June, a federal judge ordered Baldoni and his production company to pay Lively’s attorney fees related to his unsuccessful defamation lawsuit against her, but rejected her bid for additional damages.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • More than any other aspect, the hydration breaks have demonstrated that simply creating more commercial opportunities does not necessarily create better marketing as fan discussion has overwhelmingly rejected the match breaks.
    — Mark Faithfull, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of rejected
Verb
  • The firm declined to share Henderson’s declaration, citing a confidentiality agreement.
    — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
  • Attorneys for the defendants have denied the allegations in court, and MetroLoft declined to comment on the pending litigation on Thursday.
    — Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Definition of declined
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

balked
balked (at)
balkiness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Balked (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balked%20%28at%29. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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