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
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Recent Examples of balky
Or trying to pay when the driver had no change or only a balky credit card device?
—
Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
Getting Mitchell off the ball more also balanced the offense and eased the load on Mitchell’s balky knees … and worked so well that the Cavs led the league in offensive efficiency.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
The reality is Stroman’s struggles began long before the bad weather and balky knee on Friday.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 12 Apr. 2025
After balky hamstrings saddled him with an injury-prone label, Fulton has set career highs for tackles (51) and games (15).
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for balky
Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
Getting Mitchell off the ball more also balanced the offense and eased the load on Mitchell’s balky knees … and worked so well that the Cavs led the league in offensive efficiency.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
The reality is Stroman’s struggles began long before the bad weather and balky knee on Friday.
—Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 12 Apr. 2025
After balky hamstrings saddled him with an injury-prone label, Fulton has set career highs for tackles (51) and games (15).
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for balky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balky
Adjective
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The story follows Bárbara, rebellious and broke, who fakes her way into a convent for a private room and some peace—only to find herself on an unexpected spiritual journey.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
16 Aug. 2025
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The town’s rebellious spirit and dreamy beach backdrop attracted a who’s who in music, from Duke Ellington in the 1920s to Led Zeppelin, who skipped Woodstock in 1969 to play the Asbury Park Convention Hall.—
Jen Murphy,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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After all, in Andor, a rebel alliance pushes back against an emperor.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Aug. 2025
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Martial law and a state of emergency would be imposed in more than 60 townships across nine regions and states due to the threat of violence and insurgency, the report said, many in border areas where the military is facing unprecedented resistance from rebel groups.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In its 56th edition, the photography festival, running until 5th October, embraces the provocatively defiant theme Disobedient Images, under the directorship of Christoph Wiesner.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Even postgrads, navigating early adulthood in a shifting economic landscape, leaned into the aesthetic, dressing with a kind of defiant playfulness that pushed back against the pressure to look older.—
Alexandra Jane,
Essence,
31 July 2025
Adjective
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For Baxter and the stubborn Scot, this marked, at last, the reality of war’s end.—
Charles Pellegrino,
Rolling Stone,
6 Aug. 2025
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Here’s the case for Scorpio: Wednesday is suss, secretive, brooding, vengeful and stubborn.—
Lisa Stardust,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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With Iranian power and influence waning, and with the challenges of an ascendant China and a recalcitrant Russia necessarily dominating the American national security agenda, indifference may appear to be the most appealing option for Washington.—
Suzanne Maloney,
Foreign Affairs,
6 Aug. 2025
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In that case, the Saudis would bring greater pressure to be on their recalcitrant partners.—
Michael Lynch,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
Adjective
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He was deported in 2015, after serving a six-year state prison term for convictions of inflicting corporal punishment, child cruelty, willful discharge of a firearm in a negligent manner and being a felon in possession of a firearm.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
13 Aug. 2025
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Distinguishing between honest errors and willful misconduct is key.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
9 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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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
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In some ways, Paul has been less obstreperous than them.—
Eric Cortellessa,
TIME,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Even loyal fans may take occasional issue with a feature that’s by turns absurdist, philosophical, violent, wayward, satirical and baffling.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
3 Aug. 2025
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Deborah Sengupta Stith moved to Austin as a wayward liberal arts graduate in the ‘90s and promptly fell into the city’s music scene.—
Deborah Sengupta Stith,
Austin American Statesman,
31 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Balky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balky. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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