balks (at)

verb

present tense third-person singular of balk (at)
as in refuses
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 balks (at)
  1. refuses
  2. rejects
  3. declines
Verb
  • That ending In the film, Bela refuses to let Other Mommy into her heart, per the demon’s constant request.
    — William Earl, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Jackie is one reason the earlier book refuses to become a simple brief for more voluntary family.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of refuses
Verb
  • But in his Senate bid, Jackson now openly rejects corporate PAC money.
    — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Related Stories To uncover the truth, Emma has no choice but to return to the Breton island of Kerlann, where tragedy struck and where everyone rejects her — including her son, who sees her as his father’s murderer.
    — Ed Meza, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of rejects
Verb
  • Hur’s film declines to name a culprit, and its detractors argue the open ending points the finger at Park Chung-hee or his government.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Don’t wait until performance declines to question your systems, structure or strategy.
    — James Barlow, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of declines
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

balks
balks (at)
balky
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Cite this Entry

“Balks (at).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balks%20%28at%29. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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