Balk, Baulk, and Bulk

Balk, Baulk, and Bulk

• "To Balk" (most commonly seen as "to balk at") means "to be unwilling to" or "to take exception to." For example:
• He balked at presenting his idea to the company. ()
• "Baulk" is the British English version of "balk."
• He baulked at presenting his idea to the company. ()
• "Bulk" means "a large mass or quantity." It also means "the greater part of something." For example:
• He gets his bulk from eating chicken.
• I made the bulk of the payment this afternoon.


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To Balk At

The verb "to balk" (which is nearly always paired with the preposition "at") means to be unwilling to or to take exception to.

Example sentences with "balk":
• I don't ever balk at being considered a Motown person because Motown is the greatest musical event that ever happened in the history of music. (Singer Smokey Robinson)
• Presidents with strong nerves are decisive. They don't balk at unpopular decisions. They are willing to make people angry. (Singer Fred Barnes)
"Balk" can also be used as a noun with the following meanings:
• A beam of timber that has been roughly squared.
• An unlawful action by a baseball pitcher to deceive a base runner.
• An unploughed ridge between furrows.
• An area on a billiard table.
• A miss or a failure.

Baulk

"Baulk" is a British spelling of "balk." Most Canadians prefer "balk," while most Australians prefer "baulk."

Example sentences with "baulk":
• Those who live outside of London baulk at the cost of living. ()

Bulk

The noun "bulk" describes a large mass or the greater quantity of something. It can also be used as verb meaning to make something bigger. As a verb, it is usually paired with the preposition "up."

Example sentences with "bulk":
• I approached the bulk of my schoolwork as a chore rather than an intellectual adventure. (Physicist Steven Chu)
• The mind is like an iceberg. It floats with one-seventh of its bulk above water. (Sigmund Freud)
(Here, "bulk" is a noun.)
• For the last 10 years, I have had to bulk up for roles. As I'm naturally skinny, I have eaten many chickens! (Actor Hugh Jackman)
(Here, "bulk" is a verb.)

Interactive Exercise

Here are three randomly selected questions from a larger exercise, which can be edited, printed to create an exercise worksheet, or sent via email to friends or students.