as in bundles
a large amount of a material (such as hay or wool) that is pressed together tightly and often tied or wrapped
a bale of cotton/paper
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Recent Examples of bales
The bales weighed nearly 780 pounds and were estimated to have a street value of more than $5 million altogether.
—
CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
The artificial ice would be surrounded by bales of hay to provide a safety barrier for skaters.
—Cary Goodman, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2026
Cotton was a big crop in Savannah before the Civil War, with the city exporting more than half a million bales of cotton a year.
—Jim Halley, AJC.com, 27 Jan. 2026
In terms of exports, the only change over 100,000 bales was for Mali (-150,000 bales to 900,000).
—Sj Guest Editorial, Sourcing Journal, 15 Dec. 2025
Some used the money to buy new bales or machinery, or to help their family through that moment.
—Bella Webb, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2025
An employee dove between two metal bales that surround the facility to quickly carry a customer who had been burned to safety.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Departing from Greenbank Station in Wilmington, this ride trades traditional passenger cars for flatbed railcars lined with hay bales, giving travelers the feel of an open-air hay wagon.
—Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 29 Oct. 2025
Dressed as Pokémon characters, third-year attendees Bryan and Sheri Allbaugh were taking pictures by the festive hay bales with their daughter, Lith.
—Amy Stark Shireman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025
CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
The artificial ice would be surrounded by bales of hay to provide a safety barrier for skaters.
—Cary Goodman, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2026
Cotton was a big crop in Savannah before the Civil War, with the city exporting more than half a million bales of cotton a year.
—Jim Halley, AJC.com, 27 Jan. 2026
In terms of exports, the only change over 100,000 bales was for Mali (-150,000 bales to 900,000).
—Sj Guest Editorial, Sourcing Journal, 15 Dec. 2025
Some used the money to buy new bales or machinery, or to help their family through that moment.
—Bella Webb, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2025
An employee dove between two metal bales that surround the facility to quickly carry a customer who had been burned to safety.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Departing from Greenbank Station in Wilmington, this ride trades traditional passenger cars for flatbed railcars lined with hay bales, giving travelers the feel of an open-air hay wagon.
—Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 29 Oct. 2025
Dressed as Pokémon characters, third-year attendees Bryan and Sheri Allbaugh were taking pictures by the festive hay bales with their daughter, Lith.
—Amy Stark Shireman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bales
Noun
-
Starting Monday, April 20, patrons can pre-order the 6-pack or 12-pack dessert bundles in-store and online.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
-
At street level, the bundles are set away from the edge of the property line, a configuration that widens the sidewalk to improve circulation outside Grand Central.—
Adam Williams
April 21,
New Atlas,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Canadian police say Law is suspected of sending at least 1,200 packages to more than 40 countries.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Fares to ride local buses and trains would rise 30% under fare increase packages approved Thursday by the county’s two transit agencies, the Metropolitan Transit System and the North County Transit District.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Thick and juicy, these pork chops take their flavor from Mississippi pot roast, which calls for pepperoncini peppers and convenient seasoning packets.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Here, sugar packets served with your cappuccino come delicately branded; the bartenders wear vests the color of blood oranges; and the bedding is made by the same company that supplied linens for the original Orient Express trains.—
Adam Erace,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
During construction, this plate is embedded into the concrete foundation to distribute design loads to the civil structure while ensuring the alignment of the plant’s mechanical systems.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Einride's proprietary optimization software, Saga AI, is also being used to manage EV execution of select Amazon loads, including charging planning.—
Eric Rosenbaum,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The attack happened just as Ust-Luga resumed crude loadings over weekend after days of disruptions amid attacks in the region.—
Bloomberg News,
Bloomberg,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Across multiple designs and operating conditions, CNTF heaters consistently achieved higher specific power loadings than comparable metal-alloy elements.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The large rolls of paper were shipped to a production factory in Spain, where the world’s first brown translucent rolling papers were cut and placed into packs.—
Steve Bloom,
Rolling Stone,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Populations of lynx, moose, red deer and even free-roaming packs of dogs have rebounded.—
Derek Gatopoulos,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Both Downs’ father (Gary) and brother (Josh) were drafted in the third round of their respective drafts.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Fans have the same knowledge given the world of social media and how reports, mock drafts and expert analysis shape their understanding of how front offices think during this exciting time of the football season.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bales. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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