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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ballast
The vessel's captain said on Sunday there was a leak in the fourth cargo tank and oil was leaking into the ballast tank although no fuel spilt into the water and none of the 14 crew members was in danger, according to the Baza Telegram channel.
—
Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
In addition, the stocks may provide a rising, steady income and can be seen as a ballast during times of market volatility.
—Michelle Fox, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2024
Even as a ballast—a heavy item used to help stabilize a ship—shipping these gravestones would have been expensive.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Sep. 2024
They are also well placed to help provide tools needed to rebuild the country: security ballast from Turkey, the NATO military power on Syria’s northern border, and oil millions from the Gulf.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ballast
Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
In addition, the stocks may provide a rising, steady income and can be seen as a ballast during times of market volatility.
—Michelle Fox, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2024
Even as a ballast—a heavy item used to help stabilize a ship—shipping these gravestones would have been expensive.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Sep. 2024
They are also well placed to help provide tools needed to rebuild the country: security ballast from Turkey, the NATO military power on Syria’s northern border, and oil millions from the Gulf.
—Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ballast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballast
Noun
-
Dex gives him mouth-to-mouth to revive him and then … leaves him on the cargo ship.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
14 Feb. 2025
-
When the Western military left, islanders created makeshift imitations of the infrastructure — control towers built from bamboo, a plane carved from wood — in the hope that this ritual would cause more cargo to arrive.—
Laura Regensdorf Katharine Sohn Laura Bannister Osman Can Yerebakan Shannon Adducci,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Odyssey is a private logistics solutions provider with annual revenue of $1 billion and a freight network that exceeds $3 billion globally, according to the company.—
Catherine Muccigrosso,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Feb. 2025
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Uber's freight business, which has struggled to generate profitability, accounts for the remaining share of revenue.—
GuruFocus,
Forbes,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
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This is because teams test with different fuel loads and tire compounds, and some might even engage in sandbagging—a tactic where drivers deliberately lap slower to keep their true pace and potential under wraps to divert attention from certain features on the car or dodge unnecessary hype.—
Yara Elshebiny,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
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Craving more assists from Tyler McGhie to balance the load?—
Bryce Miller,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The first phase of the Pavilion renovation, addressing backstage infrastructure such as artist facilities and loading areas, is already underway, according to comments and photographs provided by Ravinia President and CEO Jeff Haydon.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2025
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And Hyundai designed the cargo area to sit lower than the average SUV for easier loading and unloading.—
Scotty Reiss,
Parents,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Primary payload was commercial company Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander headed to the moon.—
Richard Tribou,
Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2025
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Resilience, which isn't carrying any NASA payloads, is ispace's second moon lander.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
14 Feb. 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
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The legislation, House Bill 177, seeks to reduce the financial burden on the state's Medicaid program by ensuring that parents who have access to private insurance use it as the primary coverage for their children.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
21 Feb. 2025
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Several venture capitalists investing in European tech startups also decried complex regulatory compliance burdens on their portfolio companies.—
Ryan Browne,
CNBC,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Ship capacity transiting through the Panama Canal was 10 percent lower between September 2024 and January 2025 than the 2019-22 average, measured in deadweight tonnage, according to the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO).—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
8 Feb. 2025
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It was sent to space as a piece of deadweight on the inaugural test flight of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, and the vehicle is now destined to spend eternity soaring aimlessly through our cosmic neighborhood.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN,
7 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ballast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballast. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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