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.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ballast
The Sportster 25 Surf is also equipped with Volvo drivetrains and roughly 1,000 pounds of ballast.
—
Jaclyn Trop, Robb Report, 24 Dec. 2024
The Panama Canal has a long history of sea creatures voyaging through as stowaways on ships’ hulls and in their ballast tanks: oysters from the Indo-Pacific, jellyfish from the Black Sea, worms from mud flats in the Netherlands.
—Charlie Cordero, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for ballast
Jaclyn Trop, Robb Report, 24 Dec. 2024
The Panama Canal has a long history of sea creatures voyaging through as stowaways on ships’ hulls and in their ballast tanks: oysters from the Indo-Pacific, jellyfish from the Black Sea, worms from mud flats in the Netherlands.
—Charlie Cordero, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for ballast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ballast
Noun
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Platforms enable companies to track shipments, reroute cargo proactively and avoid costly delays.—
Jochen Schwenk,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
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The rule would first kick in for drayage trucks, which move cargo between ports and warehouses up and down the state.—
Ari Plachta,
Sacramento Bee,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The constant port congestion could be what’s keeping charter freight rates up while traditional spot and contract rates take their annual dive.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
4 Mar. 2025
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Police say thieves have targeted trains on the BNSF Railway, the largest freight railroad in the U.S. and one with roots that go back to 1849.—
Ian Servantes for Footwear News,
Robb Report,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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We were given very strict safety instructions on how to walk out to the helicopter, how to enter, and who sits where to balance the load.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Mar. 2025
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Corina Conley added 15 points; Michaela Cloonan dished a game-high seven assists; and Dash Shaw produced 11 points for a Sharks team with loads of balance.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
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However, everyone responds to it differently, and there may be risks for some people, such as the following: Common side effects: Water retention is common with the loading dose of creatine or when taken at high doses.—
Sarah Anzlovar, MS, RD,
Verywell Health,
27 Feb. 2025
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Reports of outages surged early Tuesday, with many users experiencing problems sending messages, loading channels and connecting to the service.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Ship will attempt to deploy four payloads — mock versions of SpaceX's Starlink broadband satellites — on its suborbital trajectory.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
28 Feb. 2025
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Eris is designed to haul payloads of up to 672 pounds (305 kilograms) to low-Earth orbit, and will launch from Bowen Orbital Spaceport in Queensland on Australia's northeastern coast.—
Stephen Clark,
Ars Technica,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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One example can be as simple as shipments that are missing bills of lading or origin documents.—
Forbes,
Forbes,
1 June 2021
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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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All three experts spoke to the burden of educating workplaces on religious norms and accommodations falling on Muslim employees themselves.—
Aparna Rae,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
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The people in my community need help, not another unfair burden to overcome.—
Kevin English,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This misallocation of resources results in productive inefficiency and a deadweight loss — a reduction in overall economic welfare that benefits neither producers nor consumers.—
Richard Menger MD MPA,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Ballast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ballast. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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