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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Thompson refused to comply and raised the firearm toward the officers.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Apr. 2026 -
Some customers claimed that they were still charged for a subscription despite attempts to cancel it, and that the company then refused to give them a refund.—
Rebecca Strong,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Tobolowsky previously rejected motions from other Gateway elders, ruling that the suit was not a religious issue and could be handled in secular court.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2026
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My first preference was always the path of diplomacy, yet the regime continued their relentless quest for nuclear weapons and rejected every attempt at an agreement.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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All of the candidates would be newcomers to the board, since incumbents Denise Fears and Blake Roberson declined to run.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
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Uber declined to comment on its latest entry into the autonomous vehicle market.—
Michael Butler,
Miami Herald,
28 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 4 Apr. 2026.
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