1. refused to proceed or act; hesitated or stopped abruptly
Usage: past tense of balk
2. prevented or thwarted someone from achieving something
Usage: past tense of balk

Examples

• The horse balked at jumping over the fence.
• She balked when asked to work overtime without pay.
• The committee balked at approving the expensive proposal.
• He balked at the idea of moving to another city.
• The security system balked their attempt to enter the building.
• The students balked when the teacher assigned extra homework.