balked

verb

past tense of balk
as in frustrated
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

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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 balked After an anecdote having to do with cocaine use in another band around the time that guitarist Jimmy McColloch departed, Apatow asked if drugs were a big issue in Wings starting to fall apart in the late ’70s, but McCartney balked at that idea. — Chris Willman, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026 Others balked at the shortage of information being provided, and warned that the public should get specifics about any retail expected for the property. — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026 SoftBank’s energy business and nuclear company Holtec put off their listings after investors balked, The New York Times reported. — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026 After doctors recommended a shunt implant into his brain, Joel balked. — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026 The states and the WGA, which also sued to block the merger, balked at the request. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026 Such a proposal could cost more than $1 trillion at a time when the nation faces a record $40 trillion debt and even some Republicans balked at the idea of tying direct payments to election results. — Lisa Mascaro, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026 Shanahan balked at an Australian adventure when first apprised in February that the 49ers would be part of it. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 7 Sep. 2026 Núñez, her old Spanish professor, balked at the notion when Molly went to tell her goodbye. — Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for balked
  1. frustrated
  2. baffled
  3. hampered
  4. thwarted
Verb
  • The churn has frustrated the nonprofit academy, which wanted a consistent partner to help bolster its relationships with advertisers, talent and viewers.
    — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • But they also are frustrated by officials being more willing to actively become part of the game.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of frustrated
Verb
  • Beyond being frustrated with the secrecy, locals said they were baffled by the lack of specifics and clarity the stakeholders had about the project, per the records.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2026
  • And just last month, officials in Millcreek, Utah, were baffled to find an unknown camera installed on city property that neither the city nor police requested.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of baffled
Verb
  • And that is part of what has hampered us from doing anything.
    — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 5 Oct. 2026
  • As ongoing offensive line struggles and continued pass coverage breakdowns hampered efforts, Washington faced dim prospects entering Week 3’s showdown with the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks.
    — Mike Jones, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of hampered
Verb
  • Monroe thwarted Giulia’s attempt at a move from the top turnbuckle.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The on-board algorithms that decide how and when to deploy the car's electrical hybrid power were seemingly thwarted by the drivers using less acceleration than usual to deal with the slippery conditions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of thwarted

Browse Nearby Words

balk (at)
balked
balked (at)
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Cite this Entry

“Balked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balked. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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