balking 1 of 3

present participle of balk

balking

2 of 3

adjective

balking

3 of 3

noun

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for balking
Adjective
  • What’s more frustrating is that neither of the bracket’s two best overall performers will be proceeding on to the semifinals, and in hindsight, one of them — Acid Betty — really wasn’t given a chance.
    Chris Feil, Vulture, 27 June 2025
  • The most frustrating character on The Bear continues to be Claire (Molly Gordon), whose on-screen role in Season 3 was limited, but whose importance even as an unseen force has grown and grown.
    Linda Holmes, NPR, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • The claim that chess is a form of gambling was baffling, according to every chess player NPR spoke to, including Herat resident Jarallah Badghisi.
    Diaa Hadid, NPR, 17 June 2025
  • Some baffling decisions were made that fundamentally alter not only her characterization and arc, but the very nature of the story itself.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Noun
  • More than 60 students are on a waiting list for bus transportation to and from the school, Shepard said, and many live more than five miles away along routes that lack sidewalks or safe street crossings.
    Ashley Mackin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 June 2025
  • The minimum crossing altitude was listed at or above 1,380 feet msl.
    Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2025
Noun
  • Unlike deterrence by punishment, which threatens consequences like economic sanctions, a strategy of denial seeks to convince an aggressor that its objectives are unobtainable, by making the likelihood of a catastrophic military defeat more credible.
    John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
  • What once seemed like a regional containment policy now shows the traits of a broader, irreverent deterrence doctrine—enabled by unconditional U.S. support.
    Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • The case stemmed from a Groveland police officer in September 2020 stopping a Lyft car for speeding and tag lights that weren’t working.
    Jim Saunders, Sun Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2025
  • What’s stopping organizations from reaping the benefits of AI right now?
    Jesse Todd, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The briefings were initially planned for earlier in the week but were postponed, to the frustration of the delegation.
    Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2025
  • And after Thursday's loss to the Astros, Kepler vented some frustrations about that managerial decision.
    Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 June 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Balking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balking. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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