as in frustrating
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of balking
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
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
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
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
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
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
-
What made the situation especially frustrating was that there appeared to be plenty of space on the playground and along the hiking trails.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Mar. 2026
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But sports games are likely to be moved elsewhere for much of the spring season, frustrating the parents of over 2,000 kids registered in baseball and softball leagues at Welles Park Parent Association, a volunteer organization for youth baseball and softball.—
Laura Turbay,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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But then the team lost Kevin Fiala for the rest of the season to a fractured leg in the Olympic tournament and saw winger Andrei Kuzmenko undergo surgery last week to repair torn meniscus in his right knee, hampering an offense that ranks 28th in the 32-team league in goals.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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Public frustration over the district’s academic performance reached a boiling point in August 2024, when Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker spoke at a school board meeting, saying the district’s poor performance was hampering students’ opportunities after high school.—
Silas Allen,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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For virtually any other nominee this year, the choice would seem out of character, inevitably distracting, ultimately baffling.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Mar. 2026
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To Gilbert Arenas, the former NBA star and podcast host whose son Alijah is a freshman guard with the Trojans, the move was particularly baffling.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are potentially dangerous in heavy rain.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Mar. 2026
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But some experts say Iranians with government ties don’t need to risk border crossings and have access to fake identities.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Rather than stopping disagreements from happening, this aspect is about repairing any damage left behind.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
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Tuesday’s game featured intentional clock-stopping, game-extending fouls by the Heat.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
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Washington and Seoul should now shift toward a policy of stable coexistence — focusing on deterrence rather than denuclearization, while encouraging normal diplomatic relations with regular engagement.—
Karishma Vaswani,
Twin Cities,
15 Mar. 2026
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The combination of Israel’s undeclared arsenal and Iran’s nuclear ambitions has created what many analysts describe as a tense strategic balance, one that relies heavily on deterrence and secrecy.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Balking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balking. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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