BALKS Synonyms: 124 Similar and Opposite Words

balks 1 of 2

noun

plural of balk

as in obstacles

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

balks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of balk

as in frustrates

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

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 balks

Noun

Right now, the only things that are out there and subjective are check swings and balks. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026 The balks and furrows, left undisturbed, had other uses too. — Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026

Verb

If your agent balks, find another one who is more amenable to cutting their levy — at least a little. — Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 13 Nov. 2025 In response, Brennan balks at the idea — surely, Williams has experienced cooler things? — Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2026 Glushon balks at many of Raman’s positions, including her opposition to a law that allows the city to ban homeless people from the streets near schools. — Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026 Perhaps there's a fussy Phillies fan in footy pajamas who balks at the twice-daily ritual but might be more inclined to brush because Harper does it, as well. — CBS News, 28 May 2026 But while Wall Street balks at the bountiful spending, tech companies are racing to build more infrastructure to keep up with customer demand for AI services. — Jennifer Elias, CNBC, 5 Feb. 2026 Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead balks at the comparison. — Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 5 Feb. 2026 Advertisement Glinda balks at the opportunity to straddle the broom with Elphaba and combine their powers to reach unlimited heights. — Time, 21 Nov. 2025 And Scherzinger’s outspoken faith makes her something of an outlier in an industry that balks at too much Jesus talk, especially when that talk becomes entwined with Trump messaging. — Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for balks

Noun

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
Remember, your perspective shapes your reality—choose to see opportunities over obstacles.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of obstacles

Verb

What frustrates me is when the CTA isn’t there.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2026
Part of what fascinates and frustrates as regards Ginsberg is that for all of those thick anthologies, propriety forces me to concede that many of the poems simply aren’t that good.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 June 2026

Definition of frustrates

Noun

Ro said interactive chatbots have technological hurdles to overcome, such as a mismatch between their verbal comments and their facial expressions.

— Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Meanwhile, the technological and financial hurdles of fighting the sonic boom appeared insurmountable.

— David Szondy July 02, New Atlas, 2 July 2026

Definition of hurdles

Noun

The alternating placements of the piles/objects are very precise, which creates a series of chicanes, indicating they are not intended as obstructions but rather to prevent rapid ingress and egress by any vehicle toward the tunnels.

— Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Recent emergencies have included animals falling off a boat, lacerations from dog fights on the beach, clamshell ingestion, sand impaction, which can cause obstructions in the digestive system, and of course Lyme disease.

— Sylvie Bigar, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Definition of obstructions

Verb

Using humane methods like squirrel baffles and tree nets can effectively keep squirrels out of your fruit trees.

— Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 18 June 2026
Multiple baffles within the bladder help keep the liquid from sloshing around excessively, while a wide waterproof zipper across the top makes for easy filling, cleaning, and adding of electrolytes.

— Ben Coxworth May 11, New Atlas, 11 May 2026

Definition of baffles

Noun

Sitting around a table in the soundstage where the pilot for I Love Lucy was filmed, the six of them tailored the roles to the actors and infused the script with arguments, embarrassments, and confessions from their own relationships.

— Eliana Dockterman, Time, 26 June 2026
The order to whitewash America’s historic sites of anything less than rosy about the nation’s past has led to some predictable embarrassments.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 June 2026

Definition of embarrassments

Cite this Entry

Style

“Balks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balks. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of balks

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on balks

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gambol

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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 (-)

Popular in Wordplay

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

Popular

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes