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
  • Faubus refused to remove the Arkansas National Guard and allow the Little Rock Nine to matriculate at the school.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The race to represent Montana in the upper chamber had long been viewed as Alme’s to lose, after both Bodnar and Bankhead refused to drop out in order to consolidate the Democratic vote.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of refused
Verb
  • She’s gotten used to trying, and trying again; while applying for fiction writing classes in college, Adeyemi says, she was rejected five semesters in a row.
    — Wisdom Iheanyichukwu, Vanity Fair, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The three Republicans on the court backed the proposal, arguing the poll sites were underutilized, while the two Democrats rejected it.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of rejected
Verb
  • But Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, widely viewed as a potential top contender for the position, has declined to pledge not to run.
    — Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Aguilar declined to take the rest of the day off but then activated the fire alarm system after the meeting and tried to leave the building.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 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
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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 5 Nov. 2026.

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