Thesaurus results for BALLAST

ballast

noun

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 In 2025, Africa had 10 elections, with Cameroon, Tanzania, and Côte d’Ivoire erupting into political violence — the institutional ballast that once steadied US engagement is lighter. —

Alexanderia Baker-Haidara, semafor.com, 27 Feb. 2026 Meafou and Thibaud Flament were recalled to the second row to give the scrum more ballast but Italy still won four scrum penalties from them. —

ABC News, 22 Feb. 2026 Navy divers found 330 packages of cocaine hidden in the boat's ballast tanks. —

Arkansas Online, 21 Feb. 2026 Navy divers found 330 packages of cocaine hidden in the boat’s ballast tanks. —

Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ballast

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballast

Noun

Shipping industry leaders also say roughly 10% of container ships operating around the world are stuck in the strait, while United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which tracks security at sea, said in an advisory note Thursday that only two cargo vessels had passed in the 24 hours prior.

— Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Major ship lines Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have stopped accepting most cargo destined for the Persian Gulf countries.

— Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026