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
  • That individual, who is a club employee, suffered a minor head injury and refused medical attention at the scene, fire officials said.
    — Adi Guajardo, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The lawyer who represented Reut during his first court hearing no longer represents him and refused to comment to CNN on the case.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of refused
Verb
  • Karmelo Anthony, now 19, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison after a Collin County jury in June rejected his claims of self-defense during a confrontation with Austin Metcalf in the stadium bleachers last year.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Peltola's campaign rejected the support of former Vice President Kamala Harris days ahead of the primary, after Harris' PAC sought to fundraise on her behalf.
    — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of rejected
Verb
  • Spokespeople for Canadian officials involved in the talks have repeatedly declined to provide additional details about the negotiations to NBC News.
    — Steve Kopack, NBC news, 22 Aug. 2026
  • City spokesperson Sherae Honeycutt said Independence has not been served with Kennon’s lawsuit and declined to comment.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 22 Aug. 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 24 Aug. 2026.

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