as in hampering
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in frustrating
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in thwarting
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of balking
Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
As age checks become more commonplace across the Internet due to regulatory pressure globally, people motivated to defend digital freedom are balking and increasingly banding together, Gerfdas said.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2025
Not only are moderate Republicans balking at cuts to Medicaid, which were made larger by the Senate, but conservatives are also up in arms over the massive increase in deficit spending, also increased by the upper chamber.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 2 July 2025
Noun
Soliman’s legal team filed statements from all three balking at how DHS had cherry-picked their research.
—Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 10 Sep. 2025
As age checks become more commonplace across the Internet due to regulatory pressure globally, people motivated to defend digital freedom are balking and increasingly banding together, Gerfdas said.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 12 Aug. 2025
Not only are moderate Republicans balking at cuts to Medicaid, which were made larger by the Senate, but conservatives are also up in arms over the massive increase in deficit spending, also increased by the upper chamber.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 2 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balking
Adjective
-
Inflation remains stubbornly high and the economic outlook subdued, frustrating efforts to repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Bare patches dotting an otherwise green lawn can be frustrating.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Higher tariff costs are hampering Nike's efforts to turn around its business.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,
CNBC,
30 Sep. 2025
-
The rains brought the state capital to a standstill, seriously hampering preparations for the upcoming Durga Puja — the biggest annual festival of Hindus in West Bengal state.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Mark Ladner’s somewhat baffling Pasta Flyer?—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Their paradise home transformed into a fortress surrounded by armed guards, but one of them still ended up murdered by gunshot, leading to a baffling mystery.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Broncos basically ran four verticals with the receivers, and Engram bent a crossing route toward the middle of the field.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Rapid Change Four days spent criss-crossing the Yangtze River Delta by high-speed railway to visit Chinese businesses gave an indication of the pace of change in the region that is one of the hubs of Chinese technology development.—
Matthew Tostevin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
There had already been one major let-off with Alisson thwarting Yilmaz, who had got in behind the makeshift right-back too easily.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
-
House Republican leaders have been thwarting efforts to get that vote.—
David Lightman,
Sacbee.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The system guarantees a retaliatory response in the event of nuclear attack, reinforcing deterrence.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Sep. 2025
-
The move underscores Tehran’s determination to rebuild its military strength and enhance deterrence amid ongoing Middle East tensions.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That suit, which Lukenbill’s attorneys Brad Carroll and Michael Laino filed July 11, was primarily concerned with stopping efforts by the city to limit occupancy at the bar.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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Chappell Roan’s new hair color Based on reviews of the New York shows, KC audiences should expect show-stopping moments, a new hair color for the famous redhead, an emotional speech of thanks and perhaps a special guest.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Despite the growing frustration surrounding the play, Payton remains steadfast in his belief that the play should not be outlawed.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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New York — An explosion at a New York City apartment building blew off a floor-to-roof chunk of the high-rise – terrifying residents in the Bronx and fueling frustration and outrage as to how this could have happened.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Balking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balking. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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