as in cargo
a mass or quantity of something taken up and carried, conveyed, or transported
the space shuttle can carry a maximum payload of approximately 50,000 pounds
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Recent Examples of payload
Maddox put water, corn oil and rubbing alcohol in the payload to check their temperatures and see which ones froze.
—
Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Whatever’s lacking in quantity is exceeded in payload.
—New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
During each flight, payloads can experience a short window of microgravity that lasts just over two minutes.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The memorable payload of that debut mission was even more memed: the charismatic Starman dummy in Musk’s cherry red Tesla sent on an infinite mission to orbit the sun somewhere between Earth and Mars.
—Eric MacK, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for payload
Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Whatever’s lacking in quantity is exceeded in payload.
—New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
During each flight, payloads can experience a short window of microgravity that lasts just over two minutes.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The memorable payload of that debut mission was even more memed: the charismatic Starman dummy in Musk’s cherry red Tesla sent on an infinite mission to orbit the sun somewhere between Earth and Mars.
—Eric MacK, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for payload
Recent Examples of Synonyms for payload
Noun
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And the Blue Moon Mk1 is a cargo variant of the lander that will later support a crew — but how much later is the question.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
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During a recent demonstration, the robot pushed cargo onto a conveyor belt and signaled to a nearby worker.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Noun
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For a while, we’re cheered at the prospect that Karl Urban might lighten the movie’s load with his meta ironic balsa-wood Don Johnson presence.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
6 May 2026
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Since 2023, McLane routes using this technology logged 280,000 autonomous miles in Texas, covering 1,400 loads delivered to restaurants.—
Eric Rosenbaum,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
Noun
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The company’s chief executive said Sunday that inspections found no evidence of leaks from storage tanks, pipelines, loading facilities or nearby tankers.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
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The sensor delivered repeatable measurements with low hysteresis, meaning readings stayed consistent during loading and unloading cycles.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 May 2026
Noun
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Opt for lightweight layers Oversized coats take up space and quickly become a burden.—
Chantelle Kincy,
Travel + Leisure,
10 May 2026
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Yet the compliance burden falls disproportionately on smaller, independent operators who lack the scale or political muscle of the majors.—
David Blackmon,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Payload.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/payload. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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