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
Cotton was a big crop in Savannah before the Civil War, with the city exporting more than half a million bales of cotton a year.
—
Jim Halley, AJC.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Investigators believe the fire started when a combine harvester in an agricultural field sent up some sort of sparks and ignited hay bales.
—Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
In terms of exports, the only change over 100,000 bales was for Mali (-150,000 bales to 900,000).
—Sj Guest Editorial, Sourcing Journal, 15 Dec. 2025
Some used the money to buy new bales or machinery, or to help their family through that moment.
—Bella Webb, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2025
An employee dove between two metal bales that surround the facility to quickly carry a customer who had been burned to safety.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Departing from Greenbank Station in Wilmington, this ride trades traditional passenger cars for flatbed railcars lined with hay bales, giving travelers the feel of an open-air hay wagon.
—Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 29 Oct. 2025
Dressed as Pokémon characters, third-year attendees Bryan and Sheri Allbaugh were taking pictures by the festive hay bales with their daughter, Lith.
—Amy Stark Shireman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025
Gourds, mums, Indian corn, corn stalks and straw bales are also available for purchase.
—Katie Nixon, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Oct. 2025
Jim Halley, AJC.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Investigators believe the fire started when a combine harvester in an agricultural field sent up some sort of sparks and ignited hay bales.
—Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
In terms of exports, the only change over 100,000 bales was for Mali (-150,000 bales to 900,000).
—Sj Guest Editorial, Sourcing Journal, 15 Dec. 2025
Some used the money to buy new bales or machinery, or to help their family through that moment.
—Bella Webb, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2025
An employee dove between two metal bales that surround the facility to quickly carry a customer who had been burned to safety.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Departing from Greenbank Station in Wilmington, this ride trades traditional passenger cars for flatbed railcars lined with hay bales, giving travelers the feel of an open-air hay wagon.
—Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 29 Oct. 2025
Dressed as Pokémon characters, third-year attendees Bryan and Sheri Allbaugh were taking pictures by the festive hay bales with their daughter, Lith.
—Amy Stark Shireman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025
Gourds, mums, Indian corn, corn stalks and straw bales are also available for purchase.
—Katie Nixon, Nashville Tennessean, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bales
Noun
-
This February, Casper is rolling out a 35-percent-off sitewide sale, which includes mattresses for up to 30 percent off, 35-percent-off bundles, and affordable accessories like pet beds and nightlights.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Character bundles vary in cost of V-Bucks.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Alongside the continued dominance of genre packages, such as horror, action and thrillers, more films about relationships and romance have hit the market, hoping to make buyers’ hearts (and budgets) flutter.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The funding — formerly known as earmarks — was tucked into spending packages that Congress passed in both November and February to fund most of the government through September.—
Lisa Hagen,
Hartford Courant,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The girl received packets of classwork delivered from her school – which also dropped off bags of food a couple of times.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Look for containers to house baking supplies, grab-and-go snacks, breakfast items, seasoning mixes, and hard-to-organize spice packets.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
When using the dishwasher or washing machine, run full loads to maximize usage of the water.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The 2026 Super Bowl had loads of celebrities cheering on their favorite team from the VIP boxes—Jay-Z, Kendall Jenner, Saweetie, Rosé, and Travis Scott among them.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The threat environment alone is enough to deter loadings and prompt diversions at the margin.—
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
3 Jan. 2026
-
However, arms control agreements limit current loadings to four or five.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Delivery apps, freezer-aisle wing packs and an explosion of sauces have all helped drive demand, Kostyo said.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
8 Feb. 2026
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Remember when Valentine's Day meant buying packs of Fun Dip and Sweethearts attached with thoughtful notes for everyone in your class?—
Kylie Petty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Avoid direct sunlight, heat from a vent or drafts from a door or window.—
Chris McKeown,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Feb. 2026
-
After the Justice Department shut the door on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files in July 2025, FBI agents worked on drafts of a 21-page presentation of all the evidence the FBI had gathered in the case, including a summary of allegations against 11 men.—
Julie K. Brown,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bales.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bales. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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