as in bundles
a large amount of a material (such as hay or wool) that is pressed together tightly and often tied or wrapped
a bale of cotton/paper
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Recent Examples of bales
Kids can climb on hay bales or pet farm animals, while adults can sample hard cider or stroll through a nighttime lantern walk.
—
Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2025
Record material production—132 million metric tons in 2024—is driving up emissions, equal to four metric tons of fiber (imagine 18 bales of cotton) made every second, the sustainability trade group’s latest Materials Market Report found.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 18 Sep. 2025
Layer pumpkins of different sizes, shades, and types, and stagger their height by placing some directly on the porch, others on hay bales, and nestling some into planters.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Sep. 2025
The wind and current was such that, as the plane flew over us and dropped the bales of cocaine, the cargo would theoretically stay in the general area between where I was stationed in the Mako and where our mothership was anchored.
—Martin Suarez, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2025
The pair appeared to be in a rural area surrounded by grass and hay bales.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Like Haňťa’s bales, those postcards are art.
—Rabih Alameddine
september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
Carroll County Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services continued to work on the scene with the farm owners to break apart the remains of the building and debris from the fire, such as small fires stuck in bales of hay.
—Chevall Pryce, Baltimore Sun, 19 Aug. 2025
Agbofah’s aim is to recruit his new staff from those same migrant women carrying 120-pound bales on their heads.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2025
Record material production—132 million metric tons in 2024—is driving up emissions, equal to four metric tons of fiber (imagine 18 bales of cotton) made every second, the sustainability trade group’s latest Materials Market Report found.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 18 Sep. 2025
Layer pumpkins of different sizes, shades, and types, and stagger their height by placing some directly on the porch, others on hay bales, and nestling some into planters.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Sep. 2025
The wind and current was such that, as the plane flew over us and dropped the bales of cocaine, the cargo would theoretically stay in the general area between where I was stationed in the Mako and where our mothership was anchored.
—Martin Suarez, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2025
The pair appeared to be in a rural area surrounded by grass and hay bales.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Like Haňťa’s bales, those postcards are art.
—Rabih Alameddine
september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
Carroll County Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services continued to work on the scene with the farm owners to break apart the remains of the building and debris from the fire, such as small fires stuck in bales of hay.
—Chevall Pryce, Baltimore Sun, 19 Aug. 2025
Agbofah’s aim is to recruit his new staff from those same migrant women carrying 120-pound bales on their heads.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bales
Noun
-
In the early two-thousands, his team had taken a first shot at the ten-foot-high bundles of wheat that adorn some of the windows.—
D. T. Max,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
-
To build this fall door wreath, wire bundles of ornamental grass and purple fountain grass seed heads to a wreath form, keeping the shape loose and imperfect.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That game, however, is unavailable for buyers of season-ticket packages according to emails and screenshots provided to SportsMoney by multiple season ticket holders.—
Andrew Wagner,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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My mother regularly intercepted the packages, returned the items, and used the money to buy food for our family.—
Rachel Kushner,
New Yorker,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Don't forget ketchup, mayo, and mustard packets, too.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
17 Sep. 2025
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Most wind up sitting in a car’s glovebox beneath piles of registration forms, repair receipts, and take-out ketchup packets.—
Jim Gorzelany,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Criteria are detailed for risk assessment, hazard mitigation, rider restraint and dimensions, biomechanical considerations including acceleration limits, mechanical loads, electrical, operating conditions, fencing, handrails, gates, walkways, signage and many other areas.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Ortec is committed to sustainability through our optimization software, which minimizes fuel consumption and emissions by optimizing routes, loads and vehicle utilization—potentially reducing CO2 output for partners.—
Andre Claudio,
Sourcing Journal,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
To keep auditors happy without grinding delivery to a halt, generate evidence packs straight from your PLM and CI/CD pipelines.—
Ranganath Taware,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Two people were suspected of stealing packs of alcohol.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Between the 2022 and 2023 drafts, the 49ers made 18 selections.—
Dianna Russini,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Summarize research on leadership best practices Generate drafts of communications, development plans, or role-play scenarios.—
Laurel Donnellan,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bales. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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