PoliticsAugust 25, 2026

baulked

BAWKT

Definition

To hesitate or refuse to proceed with an action or agreement due to finding it unacceptable or objectionable.

Etymology

Derived from the Middle English 'balken,' meaning to divide or partition, it originally referred to an unplowed ridge of land; it evolved into the figurative sense of an obstacle or a hesitation.

In the news

The word describes the Canadian government's reaction when they rejected the unfair and restrictive trade deal terms proposed by the Trump administration.

Trump’s philosophy is to hurt those who wrong him – he told me so himself

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The i Paper

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