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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in frustrating
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in thwarting
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 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
-
Her list continues with small but frustrating oversights.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
But an early lead slipped away by halftime — and eventually turned into a frustrating 2-1 loss for Sporting at Children’s Mercy Park.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
With few credible projects elsewhere, and with legal and political battles still hampering California, the outlook isn’t good.—
Ben Jones,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Since Ruben Amorim’s arrival at Manchester United 10 months ago, the team’s struggles to score goals have been hampering them.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
That's baffling to me that it was even checked.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
5 Sep. 2025
-
But over the years, designers and engineers have come up with baffling and sometimes even bizarre designs in their quest to imagine what wind power can look like.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But what might motivate the impending path-crossing between Dani and Ridge is less clear, especially in light of Dani and Devon having their own flirty run-in at the tail end of James' time on Beyond the Gates.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and other parks showcase incredible biodiversity beyond the river crossings—from the dramatic calving season in February to excellent predator viewing during the green season.—
Judy Koutsky,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The cyanobacteria quickly grew back, thwarting efforts that cost tens of thousands of dollars.—
Keith Matheny,
Freep.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to designate Marilyn Monroe’s former Westside home as a historic cultural monument, thwarting the current owners’ attempt to demolish it.—
Erik Pedersen,
Deadline,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Some European leaders have suggested going as far as to send peacekeeping troops to enforce a post-war deterrence in Ukraine, while Russia wants a broader set of agreements that offer Moscow a greater say in the regional security landscape.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
-
No direct confrontation and no indirect confrontation means no deterrence.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
To my surprise, Gary Friedman, the CEO and visionary behind the brand, was in the restaurant, casually moving between tables and greeting guests before graciously stopping at ours.—
Erica Wertheim Zohar,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
One video was a loop showing the moment of impact in slow-motion, stopping before blood is seen.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
There have been frustrations over how long the process has taken, with the leadership uncertainty further complicated by the exit of CEO Alex Mahon over the summer.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Poor Harriet, a gallery assistant who has been harassed since the pilot, gets the brunt of Laura’s frustration.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Balking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balking. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share