balk

The word “balk” has 1 syllable: balk

It's pronounced as /bɔːk/


What is synonym and antonym for balk?

In the thesaurus, “balk” has 114 synonyms and 42 antonyms.

Here are synonyms and antonyms for balk along with examples of usage in sentences.


Synonyms for balk

  • adversity
  • arrest
  • avert
  • baffle
  • bar
  • barrier
  • beat
  • bit
  • block
  • blockade
  • blockage
  • brake
  • brick wall
  • burden
  • catch
  • chain
  • check
  • checkmate
  • circumvent
  • clog
  • conquer
  • constraint
  • counteract
  • cramp
  • crimp
  • cumber
  • curb
  • danger
  • dash
  • defeat
  • delay
  • demur
  • desist
  • deterrent
  • difficulty
  • disadvantage
  • disappoint
  • discomfit
  • disconcert
  • dodge
  • drag
  • drawback
  • embargo
  • embarrassment
  • encumber
  • encumbrance
  • evade
  • fetter
  • flinch
  • foil
  • forestall
  • frustrate
  • halt
  • hamper
  • handicap
  • hardship
  • hazard
  • hesitate
  • hinder
  • hindrance
  • hitch
  • hobble
  • hold back
  • holdback
  • holdup
  • hurdle
  • impede
  • impediment
  • inhibit
  • inhibition
  • interference
  • let
  • load
  • manacle
  • negate
  • neutralize
  • nullify
  • obstacle
  • obstruct
  • obstruction
  • obviate
  • offset
  • overcome
  • peril
  • preclude
  • prevent
  • recoil
  • reef
  • refuse
  • rein
  • resist
  • restraint
  • rub
  • ruin
  • set back
  • shackle
  • shackles
  • shirk
  • short-circuit
  • shrink from
  • shy
  • snag
  • stall
  • stone wall
  • stop
  • stoppage
  • stumbling block
  • throw a curve
  • throw monkey wrench in
  • thwart
  • tie up
  • trammel
  • turn down
  • upset the apple cart

Antonyms for balk

Meanings of balk

  • noun
    1. An uncultivated ridge formed in the open field system, caused by the action of ploughing.
    2. The wall of earth at the edge of an excavation.
    3. Beam, crossbeam; squared timber; a tie beam of a house, stretching from wall to wall, especially when laid so as to form a loft, "the balks".
    4. A hindrance or disappointment; a check.
    5. A sudden and obstinate stop; a failure.
    6. An omission.
    7. A deceptive motion; a feint.
    8. The area of the table lying behind the line from which the cue ball is initially shot, and from which a ball in hand must be played.
    9. The area of the table lying behind the baulk line.
    10. The rope by which fishing nets are fastened together.
  • verb
    1. To pass over or by.
    2. To omit, miss or overlook by chance.
    3. To miss intentionally; to avoid.
    4. To stop, check, block.
    5. To stop short and refuse to go on.
    6. To refuse suddenly.
    7. To disappoint; to frustrate.
    8. To engage in contradiction; to be in opposition.
    9. To leave or make balks in.
    10. To leave heaped up; to heap up in piles.
    11. To indicate to fishermen, by shouts or signals from shore, the direction taken by the shoals of herring.

Example Sentences

  • Despite his initial enthusiasm, John would inevitably balk at the sight of his towering pile of laundry.
  • The chef would often balk at any suggestion to alter her signature recipe for fear of compromising its flavor.
  • The team's progress was impressive, but they would inevitably balk at the final hurdle, unable to clinch victory.
  • As a seasoned negotiator, Sarah knew when to balk at unreasonable demands during contract discussions.
  • The horse would frequently balk at jumping over the higher fences, causing frustration for its rider during competitions.

On this page you'll find 156 synonyms, antonyms, or another words to balk, such as: OK, abet, accept, advance, advantage, adversity, aid.

Make sure to choose synonyms and antonyms that are appropriate for the context of the sentence.

Related Words

quarrelsome

  • acidic
  • aggressive
  • agonistic
  • antagonistic
  • argumentative
  • assaultive
  • bad-tempered
  • balky
  • battling
  • bearish
  • bellicose
  • belligerent
  • bilious
  • brawling
  • brawly
  • bristly
  • cantankerous
  • captious
  • cat-and-dog
  • chippy
  • choleric
  • churlish
  • combative
  • confrontational
  • contentious
  • contrary
  • controversial
  • crabby
  • cranky
  • cross
  • disagreeable
  • discordant
  • disobedient
  • disputatious
  • dissentious
  • dyspeptic
  • excitable
  • feisty
  • fierce
  • fiery
  • fighting
  • fractious
  • fretful
  • froward
  • gladiatorial
  • grouchy
  • grumpy
  • hardheaded
  • hasty
  • have chip on shoulder
  • headstrong
  • hostile
  • hot-tempered
  • hotheaded
  • huffy
  • ill-humored
  • ill-natured
  • ill-tempered
  • impassioned
  • insubordinate
  • intractable
  • irascible
  • irritable
  • litigious
  • militant
  • mulish
  • obdurate
  • obstinate
  • on the warpath
  • ornery
  • passionate
  • peevish
  • perverse
  • pettish
  • petulant
  • pigheaded
  • polemic
  • polemical
  • prickly
  • pugnacious
  • querulous
  • recalcitrant
  • refractory
  • resistant
  • restive
  • ructious
  • rude
  • savage
  • scrappy
  • self-opinionated
  • self-willed
  • snappish
  • snappy
  • splenetic
  • stroppy
  • stubborn
  • surly
  • tempestuous
  • testy
  • thin-skinned
  • touchy
  • truculent
  • turbulent
  • ugly
  • unbending
  • uncompromising
  • uncooperative
  • unreasonable
  • unruly
  • unyielding
  • vicious
  • violent
  • war
  • warlike
  • warring
  • waspish
  • wayward
  • wilful
  • willful

take issue

  • altercate
  • animadvert
  • argue
  • assail
  • assault
  • attack
  • balk
  • bar
  • battle
  • beef
  • bellyache
  • bicker
  • bitch
  • blame
  • bleat
  • bombard
  • brawl
  • break with
  • bring action
  • bump heads
  • call in question
  • call into question
  • carp
  • caterwaul
  • cavil
  • censure
  • challenge
  • check
  • clash
  • collide
  • combat
  • complain
  • conflict
  • confront
  • contend
  • contest
  • contradict
  • contrast
  • controversialize
  • controvert
  • counter
  • counterattack
  • crab
  • criticize
  • croak
  • cross
  • dare
  • debate
  • decry
  • defy
  • demonstrate
  • demur
  • denounce
  • deny
  • deprecate
  • differ
  • disaccord
  • disagree
  • disapprove
  • discept
  • discord
  • disobey
  • disparage
  • dispute
  • dissent
  • divide
  • encounter
  • except
  • expose
  • expostulate
  • face
  • face down
  • fall out
  • feud
  • fight
  • find fault
  • fly in the face of
  • frown at
  • frown upon
  • fuss
  • gag
  • gainsay
  • go after each other
  • go at it
  • go for the jugular
  • gripe
  • grizzle
  • grouch
  • grouse
  • growl
  • grumble
  • grump
  • haggle
  • hassle
  • have words
  • hinder
  • hit a clinker
  • hit a sour note
  • holler
  • inveigh
  • jar
  • jump on
  • keen
  • kick
  • lay into
  • let have it
  • lock horns
  • logomachize
  • maunder
  • moan
  • murmur
  • mutter
  • nag
  • neutralize
  • nonconcur
  • not countenance
  • object
  • oppose
  • palter
  • pick at
  • prevent
  • protest
  • protest against
  • quarrel
  • quibble
  • rain
  • rebel
  • recriminate
  • remonstrate
  • repine
  • resist
  • reverse
  • rip
  • row
  • run counter to
  • scold
  • scrap
  • scream
  • search out
  • set to
  • shoot down
  • skirmish
  • sound off
  • spar
  • spat
  • speak against
  • squabble
  • squawk
  • squeal
  • stand up to
  • stick
  • sue
  • take a stand
  • take exception
  • take on
  • taunt
  • thwart
  • turn the tables
  • vary
  • wail
  • war
  • whimper
  • whine
  • whinge
  • withstand
  • wrangle
  • yammer
  • yaup
  • yawp
  • yowl
  • zap

handcuff

  • arrest
  • attach
  • baffle
  • balk
  • band
  • bar
  • barricade
  • bind
  • binding
  • bit
  • block
  • blockade
  • bond
  • bracelet
  • brake
  • captivity
  • chain
  • check
  • choke
  • clog
  • collar
  • confine
  • confinement
  • connection
  • constrain
  • constraint
  • cord
  • cramp
  • cumber
  • curb
  • delay
  • derail
  • disrupt
  • embarrass
  • enchain
  • enchainment
  • encumber
  • enfetter
  • enslavement
  • entangle
  • entanglement
  • fasten
  • fastener
  • fastening
  • fetter
  • foil
  • frustrate
  • get in the way
  • give a hard time
  • gunk
  • gyve
  • halter
  • hamper
  • hamstring
  • handicap
  • hang up
  • hinder
  • hindrance
  • hobble
  • hog-tie
  • hold
  • hold back
  • hold up
  • hold-down
  • holding
  • hookup
  • immurement
  • impede
  • imprisonment
  • incarceration
  • inhibit
  • iron
  • irons
  • join
  • lash
  • leash
  • ligature
  • limit
  • link
  • linkage
  • manacle
  • mire
  • muzzle
  • net
  • network
  • nexus
  • obstruct
  • pinion
  • rein
  • repress
  • restrain
  • restraint
  • restrict
  • restriction
  • retain
  • retard
  • roadblock
  • rope
  • sabotage
  • secure
  • shackle
  • short-circuit
  • smother
  • stickum
  • stifle
  • straightjacket
  • straitjacket
  • strangle
  • stump
  • stymie
  • suffocate
  • suppress
  • tangle
  • tether
  • thwart
  • tie
  • tie up
  • tie-in
  • trammel
  • trap
  • truss
  • wire

objected

  • balk
  • balked
  • be displeased
  • beefed
  • bellyached
  • bitched
  • bleated
  • carped
  • caterwauled
  • caviled
  • cavilled
  • censured
  • challenge
  • challenged
  • complain
  • complained
  • conflicted
  • crab
  • crabbed
  • criticize
  • criticized
  • croaked
  • cross
  • dared
  • debated
  • defied
  • demonstrated
  • demur
  • demurred
  • denounced
  • deprecate
  • disapprove
  • disavow
  • discommend
  • discountenance
  • disesteem
  • disobeyed
  • dispute
  • disputed
  • dissent
  • except
  • excepted
  • expostulate
  • expostulated
  • fought
  • frown
  • fussed
  • gagged
  • go-one-on-one
  • gripe
  • griped
  • grizzled
  • grouched
  • grouse
  • groused
  • growled
  • grumbled
  • grumped
  • hassled
  • hollered
  • inveigh
  • keened
  • kick
  • kicked
  • make a stink
  • maundered
  • mix it up with
  • moaned
  • murmured
  • muttered
  • nagged
  • oppose
  • protest
  • protested
  • quarreled
  • quarrelled
  • quibbled
  • rail
  • raise objection
  • rant
  • rave
  • rebelled
  • remonstrate
  • repined
  • screamed
  • sound off
  • spurn
  • squabbled
  • squawk
  • squawked
  • squealed
  • storm
  • stuck
  • take exception
  • take on
  • tangle
  • took exception
  • took issue
  • wailed
  • whimpered
  • whined
  • whinged
  • withstood
  • wrangled
  • yammered
  • yauped
  • yawped
  • yowled

handcuffing

  • arresting
  • attaching
  • baffling
  • balking
  • barricading
  • binding
  • bitting
  • blockading
  • blocking
  • braking
  • chaining
  • checking
  • choking
  • clogging
  • confining
  • constraining
  • cramping
  • curbing
  • delaying
  • derailing
  • disrupting
  • embarrassing
  • enchaining
  • encumbering
  • enfettering
  • entangling
  • fastening
  • fettering
  • foiling
  • frustrating
  • giving a hard time
  • gyving
  • haltering
  • hampering
  • handicapping
  • hindering
  • hobbling
  • hog-tying
  • holding back
  • holding up
  • impeding
  • inhibiting
  • ironing
  • joining
  • lashing
  • leashing
  • limiting
  • linking
  • manacling
  • miring
  • muzzling
  • obstructing
  • pinioning
  • reining
  • repressing
  • restraining
  • restricting
  • retaining
  • retarding
  • roadblocking
  • sabotaging
  • securing
  • shackling
  • short-circuiting
  • smothering
  • stifling
  • strangling
  • stumping
  • stymieing
  • suffocating
  • suppressing
  • tangling
  • tethering
  • thwarting
  • tieing
  • tieing up
  • trammeling
  • trammelling
  • trussing
  • tying
  • tying up

Browse the Thesaurus