as in loads
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of payloads
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
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
Space debris is becoming an overwhelming problem, as operators increasingly send satellites and other payloads to Earth’s orbit.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026
On board is a micro rover built by ispace called Tenacious as well as several commercial payloads.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Jan. 2026
And among the myriad experiments packed into Artemis II’s science payloads will be AVATAR (A Virtual Astronaut Tissue Analog Response), a system designed to mimic individual astronaut organs.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 15 Jan. 2026
The strike marks the first time in more than a year that Moscow has unleashed the Oreshnik, which can contain multiple warheads and carry either conventional or nuclear payloads.
—Kosta Gak, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
That Russian instrument will be integrated into Chang'e 7, along with other foreign payloads from such countries as Egypt, Bahrain, Italy, Switzerland and Thailand.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 6 Jan. 2026
Vulcan may finally be on the cusp of delivering for the Space Force, but there are several military payloads in the queue to launch on Vulcan before GPS III SV-08, which was complete and in storage at its Lockheed Martin factory in Colorado.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 8 Apr. 2025
Eric Lagatta, AZCentral.com, 23 Jan. 2026
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
Space debris is becoming an overwhelming problem, as operators increasingly send satellites and other payloads to Earth’s orbit.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026
On board is a micro rover built by ispace called Tenacious as well as several commercial payloads.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Jan. 2026
And among the myriad experiments packed into Artemis II’s science payloads will be AVATAR (A Virtual Astronaut Tissue Analog Response), a system designed to mimic individual astronaut organs.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 15 Jan. 2026
The strike marks the first time in more than a year that Moscow has unleashed the Oreshnik, which can contain multiple warheads and carry either conventional or nuclear payloads.
—Kosta Gak, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
That Russian instrument will be integrated into Chang'e 7, along with other foreign payloads from such countries as Egypt, Bahrain, Italy, Switzerland and Thailand.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 6 Jan. 2026
Vulcan may finally be on the cusp of delivering for the Space Force, but there are several military payloads in the queue to launch on Vulcan before GPS III SV-08, which was complete and in storage at its Lockheed Martin factory in Colorado.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 8 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for payloads
Noun
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This approach allows buildings to balance their energy loads naturally, reducing the need for active heating and cooling systems.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Feb. 2026
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Pairing him with Sama (732 yards, five touchdowns in 2025) in the running game has loads of potential.—
Sam Khan Jr,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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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
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However, arms control agreements limit current loadings to four or five.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The foundation has also eased seasonal burdens by covering holiday layaway balances for 515 military families.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
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The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities last March launched an online ad campaign attacking Lamont for not doing more to ease property tax burdens.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In a video posted on Instagram on Thursday, Vonn squats with weights, lunges from side to side and does fast kicks against a ball.—
Michal Ruprecht,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
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The model’s core weights remain untouched, but the system can still adapt its behavior based on the task at hand.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Payloads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/payloads. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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