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
-
Kylie said Jason refused to let the name just be Finn and insisted on Finnley.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2025 -
Read Next National Company refused to hire women as AL security officers, feds say.—
Jennifer Rodriguez,
Kansas City Star,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The company must take the job listing down and reject all the candidates that applied.—
Kate Wieczorek,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
-
In May 2023, in an election monitored by USA Hockey, CAHA members rejected Kanai in favor of the association’s new president, Brian Smith, who promptly terminated Schaffer.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Lone Jack Police Chief Tim Cosner, who took the helm after the 2021 crash, declined to be interviewed about why the department’s policy changed.—
Bill Lukitsch,
Kansas City Star,
7 Apr. 2025
-
North Little Rock police sought to charge Mary Lee Orsini with murder, but a grand jury declined to indict her -- and McArthur was credited with helping Orsini remain a free woman.—
Tony Holt,
Arkansas Online,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
With a colorful floral rim and an adorably fluffy rabbit in the center of every dish, this set alone will bring unity to the tablescape—but the other items listed are impossible to pass up on.—
Isabella Milano,
Better Homes & Gardens,
31 Mar. 2025
-
Advertisement Watch: The White Lotus season 3 cast talks about what to expect Later in the episode, Laurie goes home with Aleksei, having passed up her chance with Valentin a couple episodes back, leaving Jaclyn an opening with the hunky wellness professional.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
31 Mar. 2025
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
“Balk (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balk%20%28at%29. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share