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
Also flying were payloads for Astranis Space Technologies and Gravity Space headed for geostationary orbits.
—
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026
This would reduce weight, lower launch costs, and free up space for scientific instruments or communication payloads.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 21 Feb. 2026
Long story short, orbital payloads had to be kept as small as possible if the rockets of the day could lift them.
—New Atlas, 15 Feb. 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
Both rockets released their payloads—think ion guages, magnetometers, and vapor chasers; the latter released colorful puffs of gas—during an auroral substorm.
—Michael D'estries, Travel + Leisure, 7 Apr. 2025
The Falcon 9's upper stage, meanwhile, continued its ascent into LEO with its 27 payloads.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Under Musk’s leadership, SpaceX reduced the cost of launching payloads to orbit by a factor of ten.
—Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb. 2026
This would reduce weight, lower launch costs, and free up space for scientific instruments or communication payloads.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 21 Feb. 2026
Long story short, orbital payloads had to be kept as small as possible if the rockets of the day could lift them.
—New Atlas, 15 Feb. 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
Both rockets released their payloads—think ion guages, magnetometers, and vapor chasers; the latter released colorful puffs of gas—during an auroral substorm.
—Michael D'estries, Travel + Leisure, 7 Apr. 2025
The Falcon 9's upper stage, meanwhile, continued its ascent into LEO with its 27 payloads.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Under Musk’s leadership, SpaceX reduced the cost of launching payloads to orbit by a factor of ten.
—Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for payloads
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
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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
-
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
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Secure the fabric to the ground with ties or weights.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
18 Feb. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Payloads.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/payloads. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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