as in refusing
to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to
she balked at lending him any more money
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balking (at)
Verb
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Defend Our Juries remained defiant, refusing to cancel the protest.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
4 Oct. 2025 -
Maura is marvelous stomping around the apartment in a cold fury and refusing to speak to Clara, who proceeds regardless with broker negotiations and brings in antiques dealer Abslam (Ahmed Boulane) to buy up the contents.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Despite rejecting his proposal, her feelings for him stayed the same.—
Katie Mannion,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
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The countries now recognizing a Palestinian state and publicly committing themselves to the prospect are rejecting that premise and denying the settler right’s attempt at a fait accompli.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Schools are facing mounting challenges — from funding pressures to declining enrollment and stagnant student achievement.—
Kayla Huynh,
jsonline.com,
2 Oct. 2025
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Low midsingle-digit gains are anticipated due to rising prices from tariffs and inflation, declining consumer confidence, economic uncertainties and potential stockouts.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And that means passing up scramble lanes on bootlegs and dirting the ball in the face of free rushers.—
Nate Atkins,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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Science scores were also mixed between grades, with 5th graders passing up 1%, 8th graders down 2% and high schoolers down 3%.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But a chat message from Washington to a colleague, released to KUOW and ProPublica last week through a public records request, spells out additional reasons for turning down Daugaard’s proposal.—
Ashley Hiruko,
ProPublica,
6 Oct. 2025
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In Georgia, a neonatal intensive care unit colleague who asked not to be named says parents are turning down Tylenol use for premature babies born with a heart condition that has long been successfully treated with the medication.—
Edith Bracho-Sanchez,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Balking (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balking%20%28at%29. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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