as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult
the constant interruptions proved to be a balk to the flow of conversation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to frustrate
to prevent from achieving a goal
a young man with big dreams who refused to be balked by the many challenges he faced in making them a reality
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to refuse
to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to
she balked at lending him any more money
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of balk
Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2025
There are no balks, and the ball is live, which means the hidden ball trick happens regularly.
—Jason Mastrodonato, Mercury News, 24 Mar. 2025
Eric Asimov, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
First, moderate House Republicans would likely balk at that prospect after raising concerns about potential cuts to Medicaid.
—Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for balk
Noun
Perhaps the best example of the relief corps’ good work: Carlos Estévez helped Kansas City survive a controversial balk call that, a couple batters later, led to the bases being loaded with no one out.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2025
There are no balks, and the ball is live, which means the hidden ball trick happens regularly.
—Jason Mastrodonato, Mercury News, 24 Mar. 2025
Verb
But value-conscious wine drinkers willing to buy an $18 cava may balk at a $23 cava.
—Eric Asimov, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
First, moderate House Republicans would likely balk at that prospect after raising concerns about potential cuts to Medicaid.
—Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for balk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balk
Noun
-
The Arches is designed for all-around off-roading, while the Cliffhanger is geared toward slow, technical obstacles.—
Jamie L. LaReau,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
-
However, the obstacle avoidance technology included in the X10 Pro Omni has a 3D MatrixEye.—
Terri Williams,
Architectural Digest,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The Vessel Project is built on the principles of mutual aid, ensuring that no one is left behind and that support reaches those in need without the bureaucratic hurdles that often hinder access.—
Jameelah Nasheed,
Essence,
1 May 2025
-
The Olympian and World Championship silver medalist is a superstar heptathlete who’s headed for the women’s long hurdles.—
Cory Mull,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
Noun
-
There was a time when Hubble had the potential to become NASA's biggest embarrassment.—
Tariq Malik,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2025
-
The embarrassment for Manchester United letting a striker leave who then is the star in a Champions League tie against elite opposition is obvious.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
So, the two charges here are obstruction and concealment.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2025
-
In 2019, during Trump’s first presidency, a Massachusetts District Court judge, Shelley Joseph, was federally indicted by the Justice Department on obstruction of justice charges after preventing an ICE officer from taking custody of a defendant who was undocumented.—
Jenny Jarvie,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Balk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balk. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share