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
And there are myriad issues for SpaceX's engineers to solve, from engine reliability and the ship's resonant frequency, to beefing up the ship's heat shield and fixing its balky payload bay door.
—
ArsTechnica, 19 June 2025
After winning the first two sets in tiebreaks, Fils fell off a cliff, struggling with his balky back and cramps.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 30 May 2025
The only thing the matter with him was a balky hamstring that kept him out of 24 games.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 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
See All Example Sentences for balky
ArsTechnica, 19 June 2025
After winning the first two sets in tiebreaks, Fils fell off a cliff, struggling with his balky back and cramps.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 30 May 2025
The only thing the matter with him was a balky hamstring that kept him out of 24 games.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 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
See All Example Sentences for balky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balky
Adjective
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The third book in the Luna Sisters series follows the journey to love for the youngest and most rebellious Luna sister, Gabriela.—
Mia Sosa,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
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Meanwhile, Gemma’s niece Cady (McGraw) is now 14, a rebellious teenager living under Gemma’s overprotective rules.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Offering a complete range of tailored clothing, leather jackets, footwear, and accessories, JV denotes the taste of high fashion with a rebel aesthetic.—
Cassell Ferere,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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The rebel run is the biggest of them all.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The album’s emotional palette fluidly shifts between defiant bravado and glum recognition that the big dream was more than likely to crash and burn.—
Jesse Adams,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
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This defiant guy decided to use a huge lumber pile as his roost for days.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Viewers were quick to point out the hilarity of the dog's stubborn protest, with many suggesting that the dachshund had already claimed permanent rights to the bed.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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The stubborn myth that Jews are too safe to be targets is colliding with a painful new reality.—
Andrew Weinstein,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Congress remains recalcitrant to gun reform even after the gruesome scenes at Parkland, Uvalde, and Sandy Hook.—
John J. Donohue,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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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
Adjective
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Penalties can apply even if the omission wasn’t willful.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Maybe this willful disregard for someone’s wishes, particularly about their home, is part of some larger family dynamic.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Denver Post,
11 Sep. 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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Major General Pavel Muraveiko, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces in Belarus, said in a statement on Telegram that Belarus had also destroyed wayward drones over its territory.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
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Romania, meanwhile, has tried to right the ship after several wayward years of mismanagement at the Romanian Film Center, and a pile of unpaid debts from its cash rebate program that the government is finally close to settling in full.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Balky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balky. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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