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
-
Strickland then mocked Chimaev for refusing to fight in the parking lot.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026 -
Baldoni later accused a trio of other insurers of breach of contract for refusing to cover litigation costs.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
7 May 2026
Verb
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That means rejecting violent rhetoric, rejecting conspiracy theories and rejecting the impulse to use these moments for political gain.—
The Editorial Board,
Daily News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Rescue sparks debate in country Officials in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania said their strategy had focused on minimizing stress for the animal, rejecting public calls for the whale to be euthanized to end its suffering.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Bass defended her administration’s handling of homelessness, pointing to declining homelessness counts and the city’s Inside Safe program, while criticizing Raman’s record on police hiring and past votes against some encampment enforcement measures near schools and other sensitive sites.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
8 May 2026
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Poverty, lack of transportation to school and mental health struggles contribute to absenteeism and declining enrollment across San Diego County.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Charles compared people passing up investing in Amazon to how many publishers turned down the now wildly popular Harry Potter books.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
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That could mean passing up his best chance at the Stanley Cup.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Throughout the shutdown, local TSA workers reported turning down doctor visits for their children, borrowing money from in-laws, pulling funds from savings, taking second jobs and missing credit card payments.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
2 May 2026
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He was advised by a judge that turning down the plea bargain and heading to trial exposes him to as many as 37 years in prison.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
1 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
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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 8 May. 2026.
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