as in cargo
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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ballast
The mussels easily make their way into live wells, bilges and ballast tanks, watercraft’s engine systems, plumbing and other compartments onboard boats.
—
Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Without sufficient ballast, its word balloons threaten to float charmingly away.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2025
The installation incorporates robust mooring systems, wave breakers and ballast anchors to ensure stability in varying conditions.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 18 Mar. 2025
And bonds typically offer ballast during stock market routs.
—Jeanne Sahadi, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ballast
Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Without sufficient ballast, its word balloons threaten to float charmingly away.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2025
The installation incorporates robust mooring systems, wave breakers and ballast anchors to ensure stability in varying conditions.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 18 Mar. 2025
And bonds typically offer ballast during stock market routs.
—Jeanne Sahadi, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ballast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballast
Noun
-
Russia later said the strike Friday targeted a cargo ship carrying military equipment.—
ILLIA NOVIKOV,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2025
-
Each crew will engage in activities such as raising the sails, moving cargo and exploring areas of the 1863 ship that are normally shut off to the public.—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 May 2025
Noun
-
Although attendees didn’t know it at the time, Aurora trucks were already on the road running driverless in commercial freight hauling – a world first.—
Richard Bishop,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
-
Regardless of how the tariff situation plays out for goods flown out of China and the Asia Pacific region, the uncertainty is leading the air freight sector to a slower year than originally anticipated.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
29 May 2025
Noun
-
The device would collect brainwave data during the workday and transmit it wirelessly to a human or machine overseer, who could intervene if the worker’s mental load falls outside the optimal range.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
29 May 2025
-
User Experience Vibe coding can add cognitive load for users by introducing unnecessary steps.—
Naresh Prajapati,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Noun
-
Google and Microsoft now prioritize site loading speed.—
Mykola Lukashuk,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
-
An image capture taken from handout video footage shows escaped inmates running through the loading dock at the Orleans Parish Justice Center, in New Orleans, Louisiana, May 16, 2025.—
Alex Sundby,
CBS News,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
Blue Ghost is designed to deliver 10 NASA payloads.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 May 2025
-
That tug experienced an anomaly, however, which resulted in the Otter and other payloads being deployed earlier than planned.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
21 May 2025
Noun
-
One example can be as simple as shipments that are missing bills of lading or origin documents.—
Forbes,
Forbes,
1 June 2021
-
According to bills of lading and other records provided to the San Antonio Express-News by officials at 23 food banks, CRE8AD8 delivered about 147,000 boxes total to food banks.—
Tom Orsborn,
ExpressNews.com,
1 July 2020
Noun
-
To age safely and comfortably at home, embrace smart-home technology to help ease the physical and mental burden of daily tasks.—
Nafeesah Allen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 May 2025
-
Raising the number of classes or credit hours is likely to place an overwhelming burden on Latino students.—
Noreen Sugrue,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
Noun
-
Losing that 200 pounds of deadweight has freed me up to focus on advancing my career.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Apr. 2025
-
Losing that 200 pounds of deadweight freed me up to focus on advancing my career.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
6 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ballast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballast. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share