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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But North Carolina State refused to fade and tied the game at 66-66 after making one of two free throws with 18 seconds left.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Mar. 2026 -
Trump has similarly fumed at Thune, going so far as to refuse to sign bills until the SAVE America Act reaches his desk.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, the executives from several of the vendors that built out the state’s four-region 911 system encouraged the Assembly Committee on Emergency Management to reject Cal OES’ decision to transition to the statewide design.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
18 Mar. 2026
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Easier, maybe, to imagine Blume rejecting the general proposition of an author biography, which seeks to root a subject’s work in their specific experiences, dislodging them from a supposedly neutral or unmarked position.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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One person sustained minor injuries but declined hospitalization.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
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Over the next 25 years, East Asia, Europe, and Russia will all experience significant population declines.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And because Amazon never passes up an opportunity to throw a good sale, members just got extra lucky.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Mar. 2026
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Streisand was indeed present at the Shubert, but in a show of remarkable discipline and sacrifice, passed up the opportunity to go onstage and give an acceptance speech.—
Paul Grein,
Billboard,
12 Mar. 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 22 Mar. 2026.
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