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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Almost every Democrat who responded blamed Republicans for refusing to reopen most of DHS while continuing to negotiate on immigration enforcement funding.—
Arden Farhi,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026 -
Trump has refused the latest proposal, and talks have stalled.—
Rebecca Santana,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Lloyd told the student he had been jumped three weeks earlier and believed someone from the fraternity he had been rejected from sent someone to attack him.—
WCCO Staff,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
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Residents also raised $1,200 via a GoFundMe fundraising page to pressure county commissioners to reject the project.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Throughout the years-long investigation, Cherfilus-McCormick declined interview requests from the committee and provided little to no defense against the committee’s allegations.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
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Some declined to provide their full names, citing safety concerns.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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During the costly possession when the Rebels let the shot clock expire with 41 seconds left, Thienou surprised her coach by passing up a shot while the crowd was roaring and clearly distracting the visitors.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
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The problem was that older brother Payton Sandfort played at Iowa, and Pryce was not going to pass up a chance to play with him.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
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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 29 Mar. 2026.
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