as in obstacles
something that makes movement or progress difficult
the constant interruptions proved to be a balk to the flow of conversation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in frustrates
to prevent from achieving a goal
a young man with big dreams who refused to be balked by the many challenges he faced in making them a reality
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of balks
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
26 Mar. 2026
The balks and furrows, left undisturbed, had other uses too.
—
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
CBS News,
28 May 2026
In response, Brennan balks at the idea — surely, Williams has experienced cooler things?
—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
28 Feb. 2026
Glushon balks at many of Raman’s positions, including her opposition to a law that allows the city to ban homeless people from the streets near schools.
—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
But while Wall Street balks at the bountiful spending, tech companies are racing to build more infrastructure to keep up with customer demand for AI services.
—
Jennifer Elias,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead balks at the comparison.
—
Angela George,
Sioux Falls Argus Leader,
5 Feb. 2026
Advertisement Glinda balks at the opportunity to straddle the broom with Elphaba and combine their powers to reach unlimited heights.
—
Time,
21 Nov. 2025
If your agent balks, find another one who is more amenable to cutting their levy — at least a little.
—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
13 Nov. 2025
And Scherzinger’s outspoken faith makes her something of an outlier in an industry that balks at too much Jesus talk, especially when that talk becomes entwined with Trump messaging.
—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
Right now, the only things that are out there and subjective are check swings and balks.
—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
26 Mar. 2026
The balks and furrows, left undisturbed, had other uses too.
—
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
Perhaps there's a fussy Phillies fan in footy pajamas who balks at the twice-daily ritual but might be more inclined to brush because Harper does it, as well.
—
CBS News,
28 May 2026
In response, Brennan balks at the idea — surely, Williams has experienced cooler things?
—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
28 Feb. 2026
Glushon balks at many of Raman’s positions, including her opposition to a law that allows the city to ban homeless people from the streets near schools.
—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
But while Wall Street balks at the bountiful spending, tech companies are racing to build more infrastructure to keep up with customer demand for AI services.
—
Jennifer Elias,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2026
Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead balks at the comparison.
—
Angela George,
Sioux Falls Argus Leader,
5 Feb. 2026
Advertisement Glinda balks at the opportunity to straddle the broom with Elphaba and combine their powers to reach unlimited heights.
—
Time,
21 Nov. 2025
If your agent balks, find another one who is more amenable to cutting their levy — at least a little.
—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
13 Nov. 2025
And Scherzinger’s outspoken faith makes her something of an outlier in an industry that balks at too much Jesus talk, especially when that talk becomes entwined with Trump messaging.
—
Tatiana Siegel,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balks
Noun
-
There was an element of cynicism, but not on the part of determined prosecutors who overcame obstacles and brought the case to guilty pleas by three defendants and the conviction on 21 counts of the public official who ignited the scandal.
-
But obstacles veered her away from art for years.
Verb
-
What frustrates me is when the CTA isn’t there.
-
Part of what fascinates and frustrates as regards Ginsberg is that for all of those thick anthologies, propriety forces me to concede that many of the poems simply aren’t that good.
Noun
-
Working with researchers at the Freie Universität Berlin, the University of Edinburgh, and Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, IQM has developed a new family of error correction called directional tile codes, addressing major hurdles in quantum error correction.
-
The bill targets the cost of construction, regulatory red tape, zoning restrictions, and banking hurdles.
Verb
-
In this way, immigration enforcement policy thwarts reproductive autonomy.
-
Duncan's supporters say the attempt by a majority white conservative Legislature to eliminate Duncan's job thwarts the will of voters in New Orleans, a predominantly Black Democratic hub in a red state.
Noun
-
To have the best chance of viewing the planetary alignment, find a spot free of light pollution and a view of the horizon without obstructions like trees or tall buildings.
-
Not just crashes, but obstructions, emergency scene conflicts, unexpected stops in travel lanes and response-time performance.
Verb
-
Using humane methods like squirrel baffles and tree nets can effectively keep squirrels out of your fruit trees.
-
Multiple baffles within the bladder help keep the liquid from sloshing around excessively, while a wide waterproof zipper across the top makes for easy filling, cleaning, and adding of electrolytes.
Noun
-
Sitting around a table in the soundstage where the pilot for I Love Lucy was filmed, the six of them tailored the roles to the actors and infused the script with arguments, embarrassments, and confessions from their own relationships.
-
The order to whitewash America’s historic sites of anything less than rosy about the nation’s past has led to some predictable embarrassments.
Cite this Entry
“Balks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balks. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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