as in refuses
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 balks (at)
Verb
-
The story pulls viewers into a world where the past refuses to stay buried and every revelation raises the stakes.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
11 Mar. 2026 -
In an interview with TMZ, Hines revealed the actor refuses to work for anything less than $200,000 a day.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
If your child rejects a new dish, don't give up hope.—
Barrie Gillies,
Parents,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Many expect a work stoppage — and possibly the cancellation of games for the first time since 1995 — as the MLB owners push for a salary cap and the players union rejects one.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Both trade lanes experienced 19 percent volume declines.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
9 Mar. 2026
-
This comes at a fiscally dire time for Broward County Public Schools, which has lost significant revenue as school enrollment declines each year.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Balks (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balks%20%28at%29. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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