as in to refuse
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 balk (at)
Verb
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Protesters stood in front of the main gate and refused to leave.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026 -
If at a certain point the person refuses to cooperate, recruiters resort to blackmail, Andriy said, threatening to hand over the correspondence to the SBU.—
Daria Tarasova-Markina,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Zelenskyy previously stressed that the timing and format of any elections are matters solely for Ukraine and its citizens, rejecting any suggestion that the Kremlin could dictate the process.—
Ashley Carnahan,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
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The council also rejected, narrowly, a flat 2% increase suggested by Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez in a 7-8 vote.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The driver and bicyclist declined to be transported to the hospital, according to officials.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
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The sheriff declined to answer several questions, including one from a reporter who asked if there was a ransom demanded.—
Adam Sabes , Michael Ruiz , Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Still, the trio may not want to pass up making Latin history again.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
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And for me, the opportunity to work with coach Harbaugh was too good to pass up.—
Greg Beacham,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Balk (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balk%20%28at%29. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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