as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
a balky toddler who only seemed to know the word "no" when told to do something
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of balky
Electrify America and other providers took a lot of heat for balky or out-of-service chargers, especially compared with Tesla’s reliable network.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 2 Sep. 2025
The Rams’ standout quarterback participated in a team workout on Monday for the first time since camp opened, as Stafford and L.A. manages his balky back.
—Jay Paris, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
And there are myriad issues for SpaceX's engineers to solve, from engine reliability and the ship's resonant frequency, to beefing up the ship's heat shield and fixing its balky payload bay door.
—ArsTechnica, 19 June 2025
The only thing the matter with him was a balky hamstring that kept him out of 24 games.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for balky
IEEE Spectrum, 2 Sep. 2025
The Rams’ standout quarterback participated in a team workout on Monday for the first time since camp opened, as Stafford and L.A. manages his balky back.
—Jay Paris, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
And there are myriad issues for SpaceX's engineers to solve, from engine reliability and the ship's resonant frequency, to beefing up the ship's heat shield and fixing its balky payload bay door.
—ArsTechnica, 19 June 2025
The only thing the matter with him was a balky hamstring that kept him out of 24 games.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for balky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balky
Adjective
-
Silicon Valley definitely has so much of that rebellious spirit.—
Andre Byik,
USA Today,
10 Nov. 2025
-
On Tracker, Ackles portrays Russell, Colter’s charismatic and rebellious older brother, who has a similar skill set and lack of stable home life.—
Katie Mannion,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Al-Sharaa led the rebel forces that toppled former Syrian President Bashar Assad last December and was named the country's interim leader in January.—
NPR,
NPR,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Warriors from more than a dozen Native nations in the trans-Appalachian West helped the redcoats engage rebel forces, as did perhaps twenty-five thousand Black fugitives from slavery.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
That tone—of pain, of surprise, of a stubborn refusal to be reduced or diminished—is everywhere in it.—
Questlove,
The Atlantic,
7 Nov. 2025
-
If the stain is stubborn, add a few drops of dish soap to the water and vinegar mixture.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Cushla’s world is full of defiant spirits, including her mother, a woman struggling with addiction who spends most of her days bound to her living room and the bottom of a bottle.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The mayor-elect was defiant in his victory speech.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
During the Obama and Biden administrations, the US used its bully pulpit to drag more recalcitrant countries like China and the Gulf petrostates to the table and sign them on to promises to cut carbon and shell out cash to help poorer countries.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The president’s biggest tool has been his willingness to impose high tariffs or punitive sanctions on the recalcitrant parties, showing that the United States’ vast economic power can be as useful as its military might in ending sticky conflicts.—
Robert C. O’Brien,
Foreign Affairs,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
All at once, Vance had made an obstreperous return to the center of the national stage—and so did the memes.—
Jessica Winter,
The New Yorker,
19 Mar. 2025
-
In some ways, Paul has been less obstreperous than them.—
Eric Cortellessa,
TIME,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
But Townes van Zandt, the wayward father of Americana, is a perfect Linklater subject.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
-
More than one person fell victim to wayward gourds that careened down Midland Road to the cheers and groans of an eager audience.—
Daniel McFadin,
Arkansas Online,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The Medical University of South Carolina was declared responsible for Fulcher’s death in the lawsuit, citing gross negligence and willful in violation of their duties, according to the outlet.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Penalties can reach up to roughly $51,500 per violation, along with multiyear bans on new visa petitions for willful breaches, according to DOL enforcement guidelines.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Balky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balky. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share