as in refused
to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to
she balked at lending him any more money
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balked (at)
Verb
-
The man refused a security officer’s instructions to leave the front of the stage, so after a brief back-and-forth, he was physically removed to a chorus of audience boos.—
Julianna Duennes Russ,
Austin American Statesman,
13 Mar. 2026 -
Democrats have refused to approve DHS's budget unless GOP lawmakers and the White House agree on changes to how immigration officers operate after the fatal shooting of two American citizens in Minneapolis.—
Joel Rose,
NPR,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In 2019, a bill requiring the Department of Public Health and the University of Connecticut to study female genital mutilation in the state was rejected by the Senate.—
Emilia Otte,
Hartford Courant,
12 Mar. 2026
-
But Patrick rejected the idea that funding battles would doom the effort.—
Catherina Gioino,
Fortune,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Washington declined to intervene as the regime violently suppressed them.—
Younes Mohammad,
USA Today,
15 Mar. 2026
-
San Diego County has a lengthy history of jail deaths, although the rate has declined in recent years under Sheriff Kelly Martinez.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Balked (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balked%20%28at%29. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
