as in frustrating
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as in thwarting
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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
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Recent Examples of balking
Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
Then came the eighth inning, which saw Yankees longman Ryan Yarbrough give up a grand slam to Jo Adell after balking and intentionally walking Trout.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026
But out in the world, shoppers started balking at the cost of a bag of chips.
—Wire Tbd, Dallas Morning News, 8 Apr. 2026
But out in the world, shoppers started balking at the cost of a bag of chips.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2026
The notion of characterizing such a move as anything more than penalizing the public — which is finally balking at more taxation — is nonsense.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
His predecessors stretched the bounds of constitutional law for years, balking at requirement that a commander in chief seek congressional approval.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
Some investors are balking at paying those high prices and are instead looking for off-ramps.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 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
Verb
According to Puck, YouTube may sit out entirely after balking at splitting a five-game package with Netflix.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026
Then came the eighth inning, which saw Yankees longman Ryan Yarbrough give up a grand slam to Jo Adell after balking and intentionally walking Trout.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026
But out in the world, shoppers started balking at the cost of a bag of chips.
—Wire Tbd, Dallas Morning News, 8 Apr. 2026
But out in the world, shoppers started balking at the cost of a bag of chips.
—Bloomberg, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2026
The notion of characterizing such a move as anything more than penalizing the public — which is finally balking at more taxation — is nonsense.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
His predecessors stretched the bounds of constitutional law for years, balking at requirement that a commander in chief seek congressional approval.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
Some investors are balking at paying those high prices and are instead looking for off-ramps.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 6 Feb. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balking
Adjective
-
No longer being completely bound to a relaxer, these four women began navigating the fun, at times frustrating, terrain of natural hair care.—
Annie Blay-Tettey,
Allure,
29 May 2026
-
When to See a Doctor For the vast majority of new parents, dry skin is a temporary, frustrating nuisance that resolves as your hormones stabilize and your body adjusts to its new rhythm.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
The attack’s thwarting was an undeniable success.—
Shane Harris,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The thwarting of the Charlotte Hornets, one of the NBA’s fastest squads, is the quintessential White play.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Deep mistrust among some people in the town is hampering response efforts to the outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus — for which there is no vaccine.—
Emmet Livingstone,
NPR,
28 May 2026
-
Kojan, who has been involved in fighting previous Ebola outbreaks in central and western Africa and is president of the Alliance for International Medical Action, said deep mistrust within some local communities is hampering efforts to contain the virus.—
Tom Soufi Burridge,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
The suspect made a baffling statement after the incident.—
Veronica Ortega,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
-
Frame the Challenge — Then Step Aside New musicians in Davis’s bands often complained that his instructions were cryptic, incomplete, or baffling.—
Bill Fischer,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
They were nearly run over by a man on a bicycle crossing Rue Ballu.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
Young was looking for wide receiver John Metchie on a crossing route.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The latest the series can end is June 17; the shield stopping him from answering questions — not just about his past, but his present and future — is likely to stay in place.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
-
Texas is split down the middle on which issue should take priority — stopping voter fraud or preventing eligible citizens from being turned away at the ballot box — as a poll shows the split is not a sign of moderation but of deep partisan polarization.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
2 June 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
-
Russia has used escalation rhetoric to intimidate Washington and Europe into self-deterrence since the war began.—
David A. Deptula,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
Ward said she was conflicted by the need to balance rehabilitation with retribution, deterrence, and prevention when faced with the untold nature of the killings.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Balking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balking. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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