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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balk (at)
Verb
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Bondi earlier this week refused to answer questions from reporters about the Epstein files.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 July 2025 -
Her heir-apparent will have diminished authority, impossible expectations, and the unenviable task of modernizing an institution whose departing leader refuses to depart.—
Lilian Raji,
Forbes.com,
19 July 2025
Verb
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If anyone else tries such commands, the AGI and ASI reject them summarily.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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New York’s 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Maxwell’s appeal effort last year, finding that the deal drawn up in 2007 and approved the following year only protected Epstein and his coconspirators in South Florida.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
15 July 2025
Verb
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Brown-Forman's sales declined 5% in the 2025 fiscal year, partly due to ongoing tariff disputes.—
Olivia Evans,
The Courier-Journal,
25 July 2025
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When reached on the phone, Gate of the Era declined to comment.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
24 July 2025
Verb
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Her bag philosophy seems to revolve around practicality, which leads me to believe the princess had a bit more to carry with her than usual…or this braided summer tote was just too good to pass up.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
12 July 2025
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The Dodgers have holes around the roster to fill, too, but landing a deal for Durán, while the righty is in the middle of a career year, would be too good to pass up on.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 July 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 30 Jul. 2025.
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