balked (at)

verb

past tense of balk (at)
as in refused
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 balked (at)
  1. refused
  2. rejected
  3. declined
Verb
  • Bolsonaro has refused to concede defeat and has made unsubstantiated accusations of election fraud.
    — MATTHEW LEE, Arkansas Online, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Western institutions in recent years refused to invest in gas infrastructure, arguing countries would be locked into fossil fuel dependence.
    — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of refused
Verb
  • The Offer At My Front Door During my time on the council, a developer appealed to us after the planning board rejected his plan for condos overlooking the largest lake in town.
    — Jim Carlough, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The bill is due before lawmakers on Tuesday, after the finance committee rejected it.
    — Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of rejected
Verb
  • But Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, widely viewed as a potential top contender for the position, has declined to pledge not to run.
    — Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Aguilar declined to take the rest of the day off but then activated the fire alarm system after the meeting and tried to leave the building.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of declined
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.

Browse Nearby Words

balked
balked (at)
balkiness
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Cite this Entry

“Balked (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balked%20%28at%29. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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