as in frustrating
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in thwarting
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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
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 balking
John Towfighi, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
Today, house hunters are balking at lofty pricing.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 21 Jan. 2026
However, the Hawks don’t appear to be the only team balking at the thought of him on another long-term max deal.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Some Fed officials are balking at further cuts while inflation remains above the central bank’s 2% target.
—Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 16 Dec. 2025
Progressive Democrats are balking, citing a lack of clarity on healthcare subsidies.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025
According to Disney, the carriage fee increases that Google is balking at are in line with what Disney has successfully negotiated with other distributors, including it own Hulu + Live TV and Fubo services.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
After years of balking, the Intelligence Community is now embracing this commercial turn.
—Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
San Diego hotel and restaurant owners are balking at a city proposal to charge them steeply higher fees for their valet parking spaces and on-street outdoor dining areas.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
Some investors are balking at paying those high prices and are instead looking for off-ramps.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 2026
Today, house hunters are balking at lofty pricing.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 21 Jan. 2026
However, the Hawks don’t appear to be the only team balking at the thought of him on another long-term max deal.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Some Fed officials are balking at further cuts while inflation remains above the central bank’s 2% target.
—Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 16 Dec. 2025
Progressive Democrats are balking, citing a lack of clarity on healthcare subsidies.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025
According to Disney, the carriage fee increases that Google is balking at are in line with what Disney has successfully negotiated with other distributors, including it own Hulu + Live TV and Fubo services.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
After years of balking, the Intelligence Community is now embracing this commercial turn.
—Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
San Diego hotel and restaurant owners are balking at a city proposal to charge them steeply higher fees for their valet parking spaces and on-street outdoor dining areas.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balking
Adjective
-
Ignoring Temperature and Environment Every oven behaves differently, which can make baking frustrating at first.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
22 Feb. 2026
-
More and more hard-to-trace checks are laundered among political committees, with their murky-sounding names and Tallahassee addresses, frustrating attempts by voters or the media to figure out exactly who’s giving to whom.—
Steve Bousquet,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The council keeps losing court battles on issues ranging from its Voter ID law to its efforts to censor library books to its thwarting of state housing laws.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Dry air and gusty winds are hampering fire crews, particularly in the southern Rockies and Plains, where blustery conditions in New Mexico and Texas are fueling rapid spread through tinder-dry grasses.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Rescuers faced a winter storm dumping more than 2 inches of snow an hour in the area, grounding rescue helicopters and hampering ground crews trying to reach the missing skiers, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
What follows is an examination of Turner's baffling release from prison and the incredible sorrow that envelops the family after tragically losing a son and getting mired in a custody battle with the very person responsible.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Feb. 2026
-
So that is what made Green’s performance against the Celtics on Thursday so baffling.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Low-water crossings may be flooded.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Janagarajan threw himself into the community, volunteering as a school crossing guard and serving as director of his neighborhood’s homeowners association.—
Sarah Bahari,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When stopping roadside, position your vehicle as far off the road as possible, ideally beyond guardrails.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
For years, the staunchest border hawks and hard-liners justified their positions in terms of stopping unlawful immigration.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The winner was the player who avoided being blocked the longest — a blocking game, a category of strategy game where the objective centers on restricting your opponent’s movement.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
French President Emmanuel Macron, representing one of only two states in Europe (the other being Britain) with nuclear weapons capability, is pushing for intra-European debates on reinforcing nuclear deterrence — with or without the United States.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Today is a deterrence and strike architecture.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Balking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balking. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
