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
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When looking for a more sophisticated ensemble, balance out your cargos with a pair of knee-high chunky rain boots to emulate this style.—
Alyssa Rotunno,
InStyle,
30 Dec. 2025
-
Both cargoes were strewn across the westbound lanes of I-70 after the crash.—
Jennifer McRae,
CBS News,
15 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The company has been generating revenue since shortly after its founding in 2017, hauling loads for customers like Walmart in trucks with human safety drivers at the wheel.—
Alan Ohnsman,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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There are loads of cool details hidden throughout the set, too, with refuelling pipes and a moving bridge that connects the tower to the Orion module.—
Ian Stokes,
Space.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
-
SpaceX additionally benefits from billions of dollars in contracts from NASA and the Department of Defense by providing launch services for classified satellites and other payloads.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Back then, America feared an armada of Soviet bombers laden with A-bombs barreling over the horizon, dodging our few anti-aircraft batteries, and dropping their deadly payloads on undefended American cities.—
Barry Scott Zellen,
Hartford Courant,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Walking Biking Dancing Lifting weights Swimming Ice skating and skiing are cold-weather activities that burn a lot of calories,12 and hot cocoa is often a way to relax after them.—
Heidi Moawad,
Verywell Health,
28 Jan. 2026
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In the overall scoring model, this dimension contributes 10% of the final score, based on the indicator weights set out in the KPI framework.—
TIME Staff,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Of course, physical production already allows storytellers to do this, but AI advocates point out that given the time and budget burdens so many of these period productions would never have gotten made in the first place.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Jan. 2026
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According to the company, this reduces inventory burdens, streamlines logistics, and shortens installation timelines.—
Dianne Plummer,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Records obtained by the Los Angeles Times show earlier drafts used stronger language about staffing and command decisions.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Heavier fabrics like velvet, wool blends, flannel, or lined cotton add visual and physical warmth, helping to insulate windows and reduce drafts.—
Cori Sears,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ballasts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballasts. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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