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
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Recent Examples of ballast
The recent surge of interest in creator media — newsletters, video podcasts and the like — may lend Squarespace new ballast.
—
Brian Steinberg, Variety, 13 Jan. 2026
Those reflections gave emotional ballast to the high-gloss production designed for spectacle on Las Vegas’ most storied stage, which Adele, Cher, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion have graced.
—Melinda Sheckells, Billboard, 31 Dec. 2025
Cheaper options or knock-offs tend to come with flimsy sockets, buzzing ballasts, or unreliable switches, which can make rooms look cheap or dated far sooner than expected and even create fire hazards.
—Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025
For this is sacred time, time out of time, without ballast or anchor, without leash or link.
—Joy Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ballast
Brian Steinberg, Variety, 13 Jan. 2026
Those reflections gave emotional ballast to the high-gloss production designed for spectacle on Las Vegas’ most storied stage, which Adele, Cher, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion have graced.
—Melinda Sheckells, Billboard, 31 Dec. 2025
Cheaper options or knock-offs tend to come with flimsy sockets, buzzing ballasts, or unreliable switches, which can make rooms look cheap or dated far sooner than expected and even create fire hazards.
—Lauren Bengtson, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025
For this is sacred time, time out of time, without ballast or anchor, without leash or link.
—Joy Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ballast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballast
Noun
-
The cargo variant targets heavier logistics.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
-
AutoFlight says these features and its large seating and cargo capacity will make the aircraft suitable for everything from recreational travel, logistics operations, and large-scale emergency response missions.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Red Sea return would shorten transit times on the route by 19 days, but less time at sea will also weigh on freight rates.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
5 Feb. 2026
-
This does not negate the need for moving more freight across the country more efficiently.—
Caleb Jacobs,
The Drive,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Jensen will get to learn from Perez and won’t have to shoulder the entire catching load.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Over time, those items take up space, demand storage, and add mental load.—
Angelika Pokovba,
Martha Stewart,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Temporary one-time, 24-hour, oversized vehicle permits are available under the 2021 ordinance for special circumstances such as new vehicles, guests, or unloading and loading.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
-
That strike started over the weekend at the port’s main jetties, with protesters disrupting the loading and unloading of containers and cargo.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In a recent test campaign at Kratos' facility in Oklahoma City, engineers from both sides validated the integration of a Taiwanese mission payload on the Mighty Hornet IV attack drone, Kratos said in a statement on Thursday.—
Reuters,
Oklahoman,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Matrix targets heavier payloads and longer routes than most current designs.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Cargill built a large soybean-lading facility at Santarem, some 500 miles up the Amazon.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
4 Jan. 2026
-
One example can be as simple as shipments that are missing bills of lading or origin documents.—
Forbes,
Forbes,
1 June 2021
Noun
-
Following appropriate rules of engagement is the burden of the government agent.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The leadership burden won’t fall exclusively on the young players’ shoulders.—
Dan Duggan,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Chinese shipyards accounted for 65% of global shipbuilding orders by deadweight tonnage during the first nine months of 2025, down from about 75% a year earlier, according to data from shipping services firm Clarksons cited by the South China Morning Post.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Dec. 2025
-
The university that once promised to buoy scientific aspirations now feels like a deadweight.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ballast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballast. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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