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
-
Moreover, lawmakers are engaged in budget negotiations, where the House is refusing to fund several of DeSantis’ priorities.—
Gray Rohrer,
Sun Sentinel,
15 May 2026 -
Former Representative Elizabeth Holtzman, one of the co-authors, has portrayed the act as a corrective to the moral failure of refusing entry to many Jewish refugees during the Holocaust.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Washington and some other states, however, started rejecting licensure applicants or revoking nurses with diplomas from those schools even before the investigation was made public.—
Annie Martin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 May 2026
-
Some families are also rejecting the eye ointment.—
Duaa Eldeib,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Black Bear officials cited the program's declining participation rates and finances as the reason.—
Kenny Jacoby,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
-
Sadly, bat populations are declining rapidly in North America.—
The Conversation,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Simpson was back in Los Angeles for the first time since April 24, the day after the seemingly Super Bowl-ready Rams surprised many by passing up the opportunity to select a receiver to choose an Alabama quarterback with only 15 starts.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
-
But Belchetz, though imperfect, is a bit of a unicorn that teams will have a tough time passing up on in this range.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Verb
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In hindsight, Julius Randle turning down a potential drive to the rim and instead lobbing a grenade to Rudy Gobert near the end of the shot clock was a harbinger of the rest of his night.—
Dane Mizutani,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
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Stanley Tucci is opening up about turning down opportunities to take part in food competition shows.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Next, a gentle tip-tap rippling through major East Coast cities, as the girls collectively add to cart whatever Holmes is toting or throwing over her shoulders.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Pitchers are allowed two disengagements per plate appearance, either throwing over to first base or stepping off the rubber, or a combination of both.—
Abbey Mastracco,
Hartford Courant,
23 Mar. 2026
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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 15 May. 2026.
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