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Meaning & use

baling

verb·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈbeɪlɪŋ/
US/ˈbeɪlɪŋ/

“baling” is a form of “bale”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.

Meaning

  1. verbtransitive or intransitive

    The act of pressing and tying materials such as hay, straw, or cardboard into large, tight bundles.

    Grammar: Can be used with an object (bale hay) or without (they spent the day baling).

    Patterns

    • bale something
    • bale something up

    The farmer is baling hay in the field before the rain comes.

    They are baling cardboard at the recycling center to save space.

Word forms

third person singularbales
past tensebaled
past participlebaled
present participlebaling

Common combinations

baling hay
Baling hay is hard work but necessary for winter feed.
baling wire
He used baling wire to fix the broken fence.
baling machine
The new baling machine can process ten tons of paper an hour.
baling twine
She tied the boxes with baling twine.

Synonyms and how they differ

bundling
Bundling is more general and can refer to tying any items together, while baling specifically suggests large, compressed blocks.
packing
Packing often means putting items into containers, whereas baling means compressing and tying loose material.

Word family

bale noun
A large bundle of compressed material, such as hay or cotton.
baler noun
A machine that compresses and ties material into bales.

Commonly confused: baling or bailing?

baling vs bailing

Bailing means removing water from a boat or helping someone out of trouble (bail out), while baling means making bales.

Practice

The workers spent the afternoon ______ straw in the barn.

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