Thesaurus results for BALLAST

ballast

noun

Definition of ballast

as in cargo

heavy material (such as rocks or water) that is put on a ship to make it steady or on a balloon to control its height in the air

—often used figuratively A large amount of ballast kept the boat from capsizing. She provided the ballast the family needed in times of stress.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ballast And so flight was a normal termination just due to lack of ballast. — IEEE Spectrum, 6 Aug. 2026 First is to prevent their further migration by enforcing an international treaty obliging national authorities to treat ballast waters inside incoming ships that may carry such species. — ABC News, 30 July 2026 Those organisms arriving in the fresh or saltwater contained in a ship’s ballast tanks can displace the wildlife native to a region, while dredging, sonar, and propellers cause noise pollution. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 30 July 2026 That way, when stocks drop, investors can rely on other asset classes to serve as a ballast. — Greg Iacurci,annie Nova, CNBC, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for ballast

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballast

Noun

The drone was found near a Ukrainian cargo plane, and the device was defused.

— Lorne Cook, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
The drone was found near a Ukrainian cargo plane and the device was defused.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of cargo

Noun

The explosives-laden drone was found near a Ukrainian plane at the airport, a major international freight hub used for providing support to Ukraine.

— Claudia Ciobanu, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Trucking and freight will face higher diesel prices hurting their margins, usually with a lag before those fuel surcharges catch up.

— Todd Gordon, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of freight

Noun

The team stopped at 800 N because increasing the load further would require additional protective equipment, with a separate destructive limit test planned.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
Motion Applied brings experience from motorsport, where power electronics face rapid load changes and intense operating conditions.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of load

Noun

The new system allows the drone to release supplies while hovering, drop payloads during forward flight, or land and unload cargo autonomously, eliminating the need for personnel or dedicated equipment at the receiving site.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
Technological advances have already made drones cheaply and readily available for purchase, with longer ranges, higher payloads, and an improved ability to evade electronic warfare.

— Seth G. Jones, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of payload

Noun

Federal guidance for public schools expressly recognizes that a teacher may excuse a student from class to relieve a significant burden on religious exercise, giving Muslim students who need to pray during Ramadan as one example.

— Asma Uddin, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026
Ukraine has also tried to make Russian civilians feel the burden of war by hammering major online retailers and oil facilities.

— ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of burden

Noun

QuantCube’s indicator measures the volume of deadweight tonnage leaving Iraqi and UAE ports, which provides an estimate of the cargo weight the ships are carrying.

— Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 9 June 2026
As if moving his muscular deadweight weren’t a task itself for the two girls, there’s a point where Jinx falls onto Margo and pins her underwater in the tub.

— Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 13 May 2026

Definition of deadweight

Browse Nearby Words

ballads

ballast

ballasts

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“Ballast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballast. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of ballast

noun

Example Sentences

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