balk 1 of 2

noun

Definition of balknext
as in obstacle
something that makes movement or progress difficult the constant interruptions proved to be a balk to the flow of conversation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

balk

2 of 2

verb

ˈbȯk How to pronounce balk (audio)
as in to frustrate
to prevent from achieving a goal a young man with big dreams who refused to be balked by the many challenges he faced in making them a reality

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb balk differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of balk are baffle, foil, frustrate, and thwart. While all these words mean "to check or defeat another's plan or block achievement of a goal," balk suggests the interposing of obstacles or hindrances.

officials felt that legal restrictions had balked their efforts to control crime

When is baffle a more appropriate choice than balk?

The words baffle and balk are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, baffle implies frustration by confusing or puzzling.

baffled by the maze of rules and regulations

When can foil be used instead of balk?

The synonyms foil and balk are sometimes interchangeable, but foil implies checking or defeating so as to discourage further effort.

foiled by her parents, he stopped trying to see her

When would frustrate be a good substitute for balk?

The words frustrate and balk can be used in similar contexts, but frustrate implies making vain or ineffectual all efforts however vigorous or persistent.

frustrated attempts at government reform

When is it sensible to use thwart instead of balk?

While in some cases nearly identical to balk, thwart suggests frustration or checking by crossing or opposing.

the army thwarted his attempt at a coup

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of balk
Noun
The Wildcats were incensed about the play, arguing that Judge crossed the 45-degree mark on the pickoff, and thus the play should’ve been ruled a balk. — Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 23 May 2026 Kiner-Falefa subsequently advanced to third on a balk, but he was left there after Ceddanne Rafaela lined out to right to wrap things up. — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 24 May 2026
Verb
The liberal justices balked at the logic and criticized the conservative majority for harming minority representation in politics and culture. — ABC News, 2 July 2026 Hospitals are largely responsible for financing seismic construction upgrades, and the California Hospital Association has balked at the cost. — Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 28 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for balk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balk
  1. obstacle
  2. frustrate
  3. hurdle
  4. thwart
  5. embarrassment
  6. baffle
  7. obstruction
  8. stop
Noun
  • But even Johnson is not immune to the bruising consequences of dealing with a president who critics say treats Congress as an obstacle, instead of an equal — frequently flexing his power through executive orders.
    — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • Crews can drive directly into rivers or lakes without installing additional equipment, allowing the vehicle to continue moving even when water obstacles stand in the way.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 July 2026
Definition of obstacle
Verb
  • Belgium looked limited and frustrated, with Leandro Trossard and Youri Tielemans heading into the second-half hydration break in the middle of an angry argument.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • Its young people are increasingly educated and ambitious but many are frustrated over fierce competition for limited jobs.
    — Ayushi Shah, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
Definition of frustrate
Noun
  • To directly address these technical, safety, and regulatory hurdles, the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and the international energy technology firm Eni have established a new commercial engineering services company named RH3OVA.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026
  • There are still some hurdles to get Trout to the game this year.
    — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 5 July 2026
Definition of hurdle
Verb
  • The group’s open letter calls on Bonta to take action to thwart the Ellison expansion effort.
    — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
  • Nicolas Pepe had a shot from roughly 10 yards out that was thwarted by Norway goalkeeper Orjan Haskjold Nyland with his leg.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 June 2026
Definition of thwart
Noun
  • Goalkeeper Matt Freese’s costly blunder in the 57th minute was an embarrassment that gifted the Belgians a third goal to all but seal the elimination loss.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026
  • Either way, the development is a public embarrassment for Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek, whose antagonistic, foot-dragging attitude in negotiations with his young core finally cost him dearly.
    — Greg Beacham, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
Definition of embarrassment
Verb
  • His focus on the voting bill, instead of signing one that tackles a top issue for voters, has left some GOP strategists baffled.
    — David Hickey, NBC news, 2 July 2026
  • Keith played conservative social climber Margo Leadbetter, who is baffled by her neighbor Tom's sustainability-centric lifestyle with wife Barbara Good (Felicity Kendal).
    — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 29 June 2026
Definition of baffle
Noun
  • He was charged with hindering apprehension, obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence in connection with this case.
    — Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 2 July 2026
  • Amber Moree, 21, was arrested on Tuesday and has been charged with accessory after the fact of murder, obstruction of justice and misprision, according to the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office.
    — Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 2 July 2026
Definition of obstruction
Verb
  • When there was a pause in the action, referee Raphael Claus stopped the match to look at VAR to determine whether Balogun committed a foul worthy of a red card.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
  • Making new friends isn’t something that has to stop at a certain point in your life.
    — Joy Harden Bradford, AJC.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of stop

Phrases Containing balk

Browse Nearby Words

bales
balk
balkanized
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Balk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balk. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on balk

Nglish: Translation of balk for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All