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
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of balking
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
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
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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
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Nurse Chapel concludes that sleep, friends, and romantic entanglements have been hampering her productivity.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
29 Aug. 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
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Three plays later, after a Jordan Lyle rush for no gain and an incomplete pass, Toney capped the drive with a 28-yard touchdown reception on a crossing route, once again beating Hobbs to give Miami an early 7-0 lead.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Low-water crossings may be flooded.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But since relentless heat waves and environmental assault have killed 9 in 10 coral since the 1970s and keep thwarting more traditional ways to restore reefs, some scientists believe anything less would amount to surrender.—
Denise Hruby,
Miami Herald,
29 Aug. 2025
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Defensively, the Mustangs didn’t allow a TD as Jacob Ruvalcaba had an interception deep in his team’s territory and returned it to the 10-yard line in the third quarter, thwarting the Cyclones’ best drive of the game.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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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
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No direct confrontation and no indirect confrontation means no deterrence.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For thinkers like Ratti, the time for stopping or slowing climate change has passed, and the time for climate adaptation is upon us.—
Kate Wagner,
Curbed,
5 Sep. 2025
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The European Commission isn't stopping with financial penalties, though.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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As the Supreme Court increasingly shows frustration with the overreach of lower court judges, the justices could be motivated to take up cases more quickly on matters where lower courts are ignoring their emergency docket orders, such as with the firing of independent agency heads.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
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Advocates expressed frustration, emphasizing the need for comfortable and safe air travel for all passengers.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Balking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balking. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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