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
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, 26 Dec. 2025
The Pandora Mission satellite will be packed onto a SpaceX rocket in early January with a payload of 21 other satellites for a variety of commercial and scientific endeavor.
—Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 26 Dec. 2025
Starship has taken and will continue to take billions to develop; the upside, though, is the rockets should be able to carry heavier payloads into space.
—Aarian Marshall, Wired News, 22 Dec. 2025
In preparation for lunar landings later this decade, 2026 will see ongoing test flights of Space X’s Starship vehicle, not to mention Firefly Aerospace’s effort to deploy a lunar satellite for the European Space Agency and to deliver payloads to the far side of the moon.
—The Editors, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for payload
Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 26 Dec. 2025
The Pandora Mission satellite will be packed onto a SpaceX rocket in early January with a payload of 21 other satellites for a variety of commercial and scientific endeavor.
—Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 26 Dec. 2025
Starship has taken and will continue to take billions to develop; the upside, though, is the rockets should be able to carry heavier payloads into space.
—Aarian Marshall, Wired News, 22 Dec. 2025
In preparation for lunar landings later this decade, 2026 will see ongoing test flights of Space X’s Starship vehicle, not to mention Firefly Aerospace’s effort to deploy a lunar satellite for the European Space Agency and to deliver payloads to the far side of the moon.
—The Editors, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for payload
Recent Examples of Synonyms for payload
Noun
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Officers smelled marijuana in her vehicle and then found the 31-pound cannabis cargo.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
23 Jan. 2026
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And so latest reports indicate that Chinese military cargo planes - at least 16 - have airlifted materiel to Iran, with more to come.—
Melik Kaylan,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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However, Lawrence said the prices are already a problem, combined with the fact that proposed solutions to the high load are typically buildouts of new infrastructure, instead of looking for less expensive options.—
Lauren Linder,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
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Straining the body while lifting heavy loads, during which most people unknowingly hold their breath, increases heart rate and blood pressure.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Excavators will support autonomous trenching, loading, grading, and related operations.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
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For top-loading machines, never fill laundry past the agitator.—
Nafeesah Allen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That connection is visible in rising antisemitic incidents and the daily security burdens borne by Jewish schools and synagogues.—
David Moore,
New York Daily News,
11 Jan. 2026
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Fraud and abuse are merely the cost of social progress, and empathy for the burden their agendas place on hard-working Marylanders is all but non-existent.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Payload.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/payload. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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