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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Trump subsequently condemned the image but refused to apologize.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026 -
Prior to her death, Phillips had refused meals over multiple days while in the Tarrant County Jail.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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More than 300 district judges in Minnesota and elsewhere have so far rejected the government’s mandatory detention policies, ordering detainees released or granted bond hearings.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
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That happened recently in Kansas City – where voters rejected a new stadium – and Philadelphia, where the team reversed its decision to build the arena near the city’s Chinatown.—
Gidon Jakar,
The Conversation,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Trump has also, thus far, declined meeting Pahlavi, who has lived in Washington since his family’s exile in 1979.—
Zach LaChance,
The Washington Examiner,
15 Feb. 2026
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Meanwhile, pathways responsible for synthesizing certain B vitamins declined, suggesting the community was reallocating its biochemical resources rather than simply increasing activity across the board.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
14 Feb. 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 19 Feb. 2026.
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