BALKS Synonyms: 124 Similar and Opposite Words

balks 1 of 2

noun

plural of balk

as in obstacles

something that makes movement or progress difficult the constant interruptions proved to be a balk to the flow of conversation

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balks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of balk

as in frustrates

to prevent from achieving a goal a young man with big dreams who refused to be balked by the many challenges he faced in making them a reality

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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 balks

Noun

Right now, the only things that are out there and subjective are check swings and balks. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026 The balks and furrows, left undisturbed, had other uses too. — Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026

Verb

But having already sacrificed a husband to the sea, Baldur’s mom balks at losing her only child as well. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 July 2026 Perhaps there's a fussy Phillies fan in footy pajamas who balks at the twice-daily ritual but might be more inclined to brush because Harper does it, as well. — CBS News, 28 May 2026 In response, Brennan balks at the idea — surely, Williams has experienced cooler things? — Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2026 Glushon balks at many of Raman’s positions, including her opposition to a law that allows the city to ban homeless people from the streets near schools. — Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026 But while Wall Street balks at the bountiful spending, tech companies are racing to build more infrastructure to keep up with customer demand for AI services. — Jennifer Elias, CNBC, 5 Feb. 2026 Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead balks at the comparison. — Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 5 Feb. 2026 Advertisement Glinda balks at the opportunity to straddle the broom with Elphaba and combine their powers to reach unlimited heights. — Time, 21 Nov. 2025 If your agent balks, find another one who is more amenable to cutting their levy — at least a little. — Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 13 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for balks

Noun

One of Thursday’s stations included the ‘Confidence Course,’ where campers crawled through tight spaces and wooden obstacles in their heavy gear.

— Julianna Mejia July 31, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
Set in the 1980s during the NASA space shuttle program, this suspenseful novel reveals the complexity behind every expedition, following the relationships and obstacles while conveying a love of exploring the unknown.

— The Week US, TheWeek, 31 July 2026

Definition of obstacles

Verb

But what most frustrates her is that Calder’s portrayal of Millennial ennui and directionlessness takes those qualities at face value and, in doing so, replicates them.

— Emma Sarappo, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026
Fallback that requires manual intervention or user choice introduces friction that frustrates legitimate users and can be socially engineered by bad actors.

— Gegham Azatyan, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Definition of frustrates

Noun

The View From the Major Carriers Buying Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile outright comes with regulatory, legal and monetary hurdles.

— Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 30 July 2026
Deadlines slide, unexpected integration hurdles emerge and the anticipated return on investment starts to slip.

— Susana Cabrera, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

Definition of hurdles

Noun

Look toward the eastern horizon from a location with as few buildings, trees or other obstructions as possible.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026
Cameras mounted on city vehicles and Chicago Transit Authority buses capture the obstructions, and tickets are issued by the city’s Department of Finance.

— A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026

Definition of obstructions

Verb

Meanwhile, McGrew agreed to adjustments, including adding baffles to reduce sound from a attached generator for the tower and replacing tower fencing that incorporated barbed wire with taller, more natural looking fencing.

— Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
Using humane methods like squirrel baffles and tree nets can effectively keep squirrels out of your fruit trees.

— Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 18 June 2026

Definition of baffles

Noun

Sitting around a table in the soundstage where the pilot for I Love Lucy was filmed, the six of them tailored the roles to the actors and infused the script with arguments, embarrassments, and confessions from their own relationships.

— Eliana Dockterman, Time, 26 June 2026
The order to whitewash America’s historic sites of anything less than rosy about the nation’s past has led to some predictable embarrassments.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 June 2026

Definition of embarrassments

Cite this Entry

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“Balks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balks. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of balks

noun

verb

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