pileup
noun
pile·up
ˈpī(-ə)l-ˌəp 
1
: a collision involving usually several motor vehicles
2
a
: a jammed tangled mass or pile (as of motor vehicles or people) resulting from collision or accumulation
b
Examples of pileup in a Sentence
A five-car pileup slowed traffic.
a pileup of e-mail messages that needed to be dealt with
Recent Examples on the Web
Three semi-trucks and at least 20 vehicles were involved in a major pileup on Interstate 75 in Detroit late Monday morning.
—
Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 29 Dec. 2025
Two people have been confirmed dead and 26 others were injured in the pileup, per the outlets.
—Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 27 Dec. 2025
An unusually large pileup of Second Amendment challenges has landed at the Supreme Court, which will consider taking up the cases behind closed doors Friday.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2025
The case is the first case connected to the pileup to go to trial, attorneys said.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pileup
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Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 29 Dec. 2025
Two people have been confirmed dead and 26 others were injured in the pileup, per the outlets.
—Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 27 Dec. 2025
An unusually large pileup of Second Amendment challenges has landed at the Supreme Court, which will consider taking up the cases behind closed doors Friday.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2025
The case is the first case connected to the pileup to go to trial, attorneys said.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pileup
Cite this Entry
“Pileup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pileup. Accessed 5 Jan. 2026.
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