balking 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of balkingnext
as in frustrating

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

balking

2 of 3

noun

as in thwarting

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

balking

3 of 3

verb

present participle of balk
as in hampering
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for balking
  1. frustrating
  2. baffling
  3. crossing
  4. deterrence
  5. stopping
  6. frustration
Adjective
  • For many people, these medications provide a way out of the frustrating cycle of dieting and regaining weight.
    — Rowan Briggs, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Those interest rates matter, because of the frustrating math of inflation.
    — Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2025
Definition of frustrating
Adjective
  • While Joel is essentially the same character in both, Ellie was changed in pretty baffling ways for the show.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • But the reality is that this was a microcosm of this thrilling, frustrating and baffling Wolves season.
    — Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of baffling
Noun
  • Meanwhile, the Center for Immigration Studies, an immigration-skeptic group, estimates that U.S. border authorities are catching close to 95 percent of would-be crossers; if so, this means that successful crossings have trickled down to likely the lowest level since the Great Depression.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2025
  • No crossing of the state border of the Russian Federation was allowed.
    — Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
Definition of crossing
Noun
  • The proud Iranian nation, whose strength my government relies on for real deterrence, will never accept coercion and imposition.
    — Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Another called for an initiative to field strong NATO anti-access/area-denial defenses in eastern Europe, both to deter Russian aggression and to sustain a successful defense of the region should deterrence fail.
    — Andrew F. Krepinevich, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2025
Definition of deterrence
Verb
  • The case stemmed from a Groveland police officer in September 2020 stopping a Lyft car for speeding and tag lights that weren’t working.
    — Jim Saunders, Sun Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2025
  • What’s stopping organizations from reaping the benefits of AI right now?
    — Jesse Todd, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
Definition of stopping
Noun
  • Despite their popularity, laser pointers are generally not recommended — for cats, a laser is uncatchable prey and a source of frustration.
    — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
  • On the same day, the White House expressed frustration at Moscow and Kyiv over the lack of progress in peace talks.
    — David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025
Definition of frustration
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

balkiness
balking
balking (at)
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Cite this Entry

“Balking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/balking. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.

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Nglish: Translation of balking for Spanish Speakers

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