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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balked (at)
Verb
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The man refused a security officer’s instructions to leave the front of the stage, so after a brief back-and-forth, he was physically removed to a chorus of audience boos.—
Julianna Duennes Russ,
Austin American Statesman,
13 Mar. 2026 -
Democrats have refused to approve DHS's budget unless GOP lawmakers and the White House agree on changes to how immigration officers operate after the fatal shooting of two American citizens in Minneapolis.—
Joel Rose,
NPR,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In 2019, a bill requiring the Department of Public Health and the University of Connecticut to study female genital mutilation in the state was rejected by the Senate.—
Emilia Otte,
Hartford Courant,
12 Mar. 2026
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But Patrick rejected the idea that funding battles would doom the effort.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Township officials also offered assistance during a public meeting to help address those concerns, but the university declined the help, the lawsuit alleges.—
Frederick Sutton Sinclair,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
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The Army Corps declined to comment for this article, citing the ongoing lawsuit.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 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 15 Mar. 2026.
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