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
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
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
-
Beijing also held several soybean auctions in recent weeks, an indication that room is being cleared for more incoming cargoes.—
Hallie Gu,
Arkansas Online,
21 Jan. 2026
-
The world’s top consumer had been hovering close to the target for days and has now booked enough cargoes to meet it, according to traders familiar with the shipments.—
Boston Herald Wire Services,
Boston Herald,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Autonomous aircraft can move smaller loads more discreetly.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Feb. 2026
-
For larger loads, the company recommends using two tiles.—
Joseph Erbentraut,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The threat environment alone is enough to deter loadings and prompt diversions at the margin.—
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
3 Jan. 2026
-
However, arms control agreements limit current loadings to four or five.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Also flying were payloads for Astranis Space Technologies and Gravity Space headed for geostationary orbits.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Its robotic arms can handle payloads of up to 3 kilograms, with a tool center point speed reaching 2 meters per second, reports Pan Daily.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Secure the fabric to the ground with ties or weights.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The moves were tentative, though, and Nvidia swung between being one of the market’s heaviest weights and one of its biggest strengths.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
At CenterWell, our care teams connect seniors with community resources to help ease these burdens.—
Jereè Paul,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 Feb. 2026
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The accused bring with them the burdens of poverty, addiction, isolation, physical or mental illness, and the relentless stress of exclusion.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Keep your flowers in a location that is bright but avoid direct sunlight, and keep them away from drafts, or entryways where large temperature fluctuations are likely.—
Heather Zidack,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Silver knows that strong words and six-figure fines might not be nearly enough to compel struggling teams to commit to real competition instead of improving their odds in what’s expected to be one of the deepest drafts in recent history — and that’s why the NBA is looking at stronger solutions.—
Greg Beacham,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ballasts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballasts. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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