BALKING (AT) Synonyms: 87 Similar and Opposite Words

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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for balking (at)

Verb

Oyer said she was fired for refusing to write a letter to then-Attorney General Pam Bondi recommending that actor Mel Gibson have his firearm rights restored.

— Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 22 July 2026
But more often, those fighting trafficking live in their own silos, doing their own work, and often failing or refusing to share even scant details with other jurisdictions.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026

Definition of refusing

Verb

One bill sought to lower the threshold for rejecting district court judges in retention elections from 50% of the vote plus one to 40%.

— Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026
White collar workers are rejecting their company’s AI tools, just as protests against data centers increase across the country.

— Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 23 July 2026

Definition of rejecting

Verb

However, declining vaccination rates fueled by vaccine hesitancy have created pockets of susceptible individuals where the virus can spread quickly.

— Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 24 July 2026
Idaho’s divorce rate has been steadily declining for nearly half a century, and since 2020, has been below the low-water mark set in 1956, according to data collected since 1950.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 23 July 2026

Definition of declining

Verb

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
The Supreme Court is staying out of a case about whether the Catholic Church misled parishioners about the purpose of an annual collection, passing up a chance to probe the independence churches have from government interference.

— Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 26 May 2026

Definition of passing up

Verb

Rock Hill Mayor John Gettys said the city has spent four years turning down redevelopment offers for Palmetto Research Park in an effort to hold the property for higher-wage employers.

— John Marks, Charlotte Observer, 2 July 2026
Value your time by turning down unpaid tasks.

— Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2026

Definition of turning down

Verb

Anthony had a cortisone shot last week and had begun throwing over the weekend.

— Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 21 May 2026
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

Definition of throwing over

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balking

balking (at)

balks

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“Balking (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balking%20%28at%29. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of balking (at)

verb

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