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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Nevertheless, a select few, like then San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson who famously sported a thick black beard, refused to so much as meet with the Yankees because of the rule.—
Marc Edelman,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025 -
Frame refuses to bask in her exceptionalism, her almost miraculous escape.—
Audrey Wollen,
The New Yorker,
25 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Never the favorite of his party's professional advisers, Merz was twice rejected as Merkel's successor as party leader, in 2018 and 2021, before his doggedness won out in 2022.—
Thomas Escritt,
USA TODAY,
24 Feb. 2025
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When this innate drive for self-expansion is unfulfilled within the current relationship, individuals may seek it elsewhere—including through infidelity. Cheating, in this case, isn’t necessarily about rejecting a relationship but about reclaiming a lost sense of self.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
23 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In fact, on February 13th, the day Kennedy was confirmed, President Trump issued an executive order establishing the President’s Make America Healthy Again Commission to address rising rates of chronic diseases and declining life expectancies.—
Brandon Kochkodin,
Forbes,
18 Feb. 2025
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That era began in the late 1960s, blazed in the '70s, stayed on pace in the '80s, and survived in an unevenly declining way through Tucker, Mike Huckabee, Mike Beebe... Subscribe to continue reading, or log in.—
John Brummett,
arkansasonline.com,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Kate Hudson admittedly regrets passing up on the opportunity to pick up 10 (or 15) skirts from Calvin Klein for Meryl Streep's Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
21 Feb. 2025
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But the opportunity to take the field with her sister, Valerie, a freshman who is already starting at defensive midfielder, was too good to pass up.—
Joseph Dycus,
The Mercury News,
14 Feb. 2025
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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 4 Mar. 2025.
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