as in cargoes
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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Recent Examples of ballasts
Federal officials recently launched a prize competition to reward ideas for controlling the flow of aquatic species into and out of the ballasts of boats that travel among the various lakes and waterways across the United States.
—
Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 7 May 2026
Other items from the ship, including the ballasts that served as counterweights for the human cargo, are remaining on display and will be returned to South Africa in two years.
—Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2026
Other items from the ship, including the ballasts that served as counterweights for the human cargo, are remaining on display and will be returned to South Africa in two years.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Have bricks or river rocks concealed out of sight and ready to use as ballasts to hold the cloth in place against winds.
—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Jan. 2026
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
Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 7 May 2026
Other items from the ship, including the ballasts that served as counterweights for the human cargo, are remaining on display and will be returned to South Africa in two years.
—Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2026
Other items from the ship, including the ballasts that served as counterweights for the human cargo, are remaining on display and will be returned to South Africa in two years.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Have bricks or river rocks concealed out of sight and ready to use as ballasts to hold the cloth in place against winds.
—Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballasts
Noun
-
Look for a pair with rich texture, like snakeskin, woven leather, or crocodile print, to dress up a pair of light-wash cargos.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
6 June 2026
-
Such a campaign would target the vessels, cargoes, service providers, insurers, owners, operators, and financial networks that sustain Russia’s war against Ukraine.—
David A. Deptula,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
The initial system, named Eos, serves as a large-scale prototype designed to achieve steady-state fusion and test structural integrity under real operational loads.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
10 June 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,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Windward said more than two dozen tankers are confined west of Hormuz as of Wednesday, with the blockade cutting Iranian oil loadings and exports by more than half.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
29 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
-
There is no way to maneuver or dispose of them if left abandoned in orbit after releasing their payloads.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
15 June 2026
-
The platform’s modular design also leaves room for future payloads.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
One simple explanation for Wyoming wolves having heavier weights, as wildlife managers point out in their report, is that most states just aren’t tracking wolf size as closely.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
11 June 2026
-
Hold the weights in place with your hands.—
Jenessa Connor,
Health,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
As far as housing cost burdens, 53% of Hartford residents are housing cost-burdened, which compares to 32%, when factoring in the entire Greater Hartford Gives service area.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
11 June 2026
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Real-time data sharing could be a game changer Guerraz said some of the healthcare system's biggest pain points could become easier to address over the next several years as insurers and providers work to reduce administrative burdens and share data more seamlessly.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
The competing drafts only exacerbated days of confusion around the prospects for a deal to end the fighting that began with US and Israeli missile attacks against Iran on February 28.—
Salma El Wardany,
Fortune,
14 June 2026
-
Hiro said the problem is that the high-frequency, low-stakes work that used to go to junior people – first drafts, routine processing – is the same work that caters best to AI.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ballasts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballasts. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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