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
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Here, Colman Domingo’s renegade intelligence operative also refuses to tell anyone anything, but all the unspoken beats just feel like plot holes.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026 -
And law enforcement refuses to investigate it.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Taiwan’s government rejects China’s sovereignty claims, saying only the island’s people can decide their future.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
10 June 2026
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There’s already wide agreement within the denomination that its faith statement rejects the appointment of women as senior pastors who lead churches.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Once sterile males are prevalent enough, the fly's population declines and then dies out.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
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If price declines outpace output gains, total revenues in affected industries must fall, reducing the income available to workers and other producers despite higher levels of production.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
6 June 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 16 Jun. 2026.
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