Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Companies tried to pass along their own price increases to customers, but customers were balking.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 3, 2026

Demand is strong and consumers aren’t balking at higher fares, plus it’s cutting capacity to mitigate the impact of higher fuel prices.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

Customers were balking after a string of price increases.

From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026

Now they are balking at potentially throwing more good money after bad.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

The company that had issued the bigger policy was balking at paying off.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey