balking (at)

verb

present participle of balk (at)
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for balking (at)
  1. refusing
  2. rejecting
  3. declining
  4. passing up
  5. turning down
  6. throwing over
Verb
  • The news comes amid ongoing tensions as the war in Iran persists, with Trump refusing a deal with Iran to open the Strait as recently as Saturday, impacting the world's oil supply.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
  • In September 1644, Suffolk housewife Thomasine Stott was arrested for refusing to go to her state church.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of refusing
Verb
  • The former special counsel also cited former Vice President Mike Pence, who refused to go along with a plan to overturn the results of the 2020 election by rejecting the electoral votes of battleground states that Biden won.
    — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Throughout this same time, Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse also continued to wear the Air Force 1 High sneakers while playing in the NBA — rejecting modern technology in favor for in-game footwear that was already two decades old.
    — Olivia Cigliano, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of rejecting
Verb
  • Local officials and school leaders have linked the shortage of family housing to declining enrollment in the Davis Joint Unified School District, which is weighing school closures.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • And the Civilian Oversight Commission filed suit against the department in June for declining to provide certain records related to three cases of use of force the commission issued subpoenas for in February 2025.
    — Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of declining
Verb
  • The game featured a fourth-quarter comeback by Mizzou and a Tigers fan passing up a chance to win $25k to troll the Jayhawks instead.
    — Justin Williams, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The Emmys’ producers passing up on even the slightest possibility of a Werner Herzog acceptance speech is sheer lunacy.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 20 June 2026
Definition of passing up
Verb
  • The woman accused of keeping him captive, 58-year-old Kimberly Sullivan, is expected to head to trial after turning down two plea deals during a hearing in Waterbury Superior Court earlier this month.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
  • But for a sport the size of fencing, turning down attention is an unaffordable luxury.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of turning down
Verb
  • In his breakout season in 2025, Maye showed that one of his quarterbacking superpowers is throwing over the middle of the field.
    — Daniel Popper, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Tatis dealt with Patrick throwing over twice, and catcher Gary Sánchez snapping off a pickoff throw.
    — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of throwing over
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.

Browse Nearby Words

balking
balking (at)
balks
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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 3 Oct. 2026.

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