Definition of balk - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
sudden stopUS stop suddenly and refuse to continueUS
- The horse balked at the fence.
2.
refusalrefuse to comply or accept
- She balked at the idea of working late.
3.
deliberate avoidanceUS avoid something deliberatelyUS
- He balked at answering the difficult question.
4.
sports deceptionTECH. US make a deceptive motion in sportsTECH. US
- The pitcher balked, confusing the runner.
Noun
1.
obstacleUS hindrance or obstruction in a processUS
- His sudden decision to not sign the document was a balk to the agreement.
2.
behaviorsudden and obstinate stop
- The horse came to a balk at the fence.
3.
baseballTECH. US illegal motion by a pitcher in baseballTECH. US
- The pitcher's balk cost the team a penalty during the game.
4.
billiardsTECH. the area behind the line on a billiard tableTECH.
- He positioned the cue ball in the balk.
5.
agricultureDated UK uncultivated ridge formed by ploughingDated UK
- Farmers left a balk between the fields.
6.
archaeologyDated the wall of earth at an excavation's edgeDated
- The archaeologists carefully examined the balk.
Images of balk
the area behind the line on a billiard table 
uncultivated ridge formed by ploughing 
the wall of earth at an excavation's edge
Expressions with balk
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stop short and refuse to proceed with action
He balked at signing the contract without a lawyer.
Origin of balk
Middle English, balken (to hesitate)
Examples of balk in a sentence
The car balked at the steep hill. He balked at signing the contract without a lawyer. The horse balked at jumping the fence. The horse balked at jumping over the fence. The player balked, causing the opponent to hesitate. During the game, she balked to gain an advantage.
The new regulations were a balk to the project. A balk in the negotiations caused delays. The mule's balk delayed the caravan. Her sudden balk at signing surprised everyone. The umpire called a balk during the crucial inning. A balk can change the outcome of a game. The ball rolled back into the balk. He aimed carefully from the balk. The balk was visible after the snow melted. They avoided planting near the balk. They documented the balk's dimensions meticulously. The balk revealed layers of historical significance.
View all translations of balk
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:regimber, obstacle, ...
- German:scheuen, Hindernis, ...
- Italian:fermarsi, impedimento, ...
- Spanish:frenarse, obstáculo, ...
- Portuguese:refugar, obstáculo, ...
- Chinese:止步不前, 障碍, ...
- Japanese:立ち止まる, 障害, ...
- Arabic:أَحْجَم, عائق, ...
- Hebrew:לְהֵירָתַע, מִכְשׁוֹל, ...
- Russian:останавливаться, помеха, ...
- Ukrainian:раптово зупинятися, перешкода, ...
- Hindi:अड़ जाना, बाधा, ...
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