1
as in stack
a quantity of things thrown or stacked on one another
a large pile of newspapers that needed to be disposed of
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in loads
a considerable amount
a job that paid piles of money
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bundle
a very large amount of money
she made a pile in the stock market just before it headed south
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
1
2
as in to huddle
to gather into a closely packed group
the kids piled into the car
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pile
Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
The study, from researchers at the University of Adelaide in Australia, is just the latest addition to a growing pile of evidence that suggests mammalian reproduction in space might be quite complicated, if not impossible.
—Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
In the immediate future, analysts predict higher prices for groceries, which have to be restocked frequently and could also see price hikes as businesses’ transportation costs pile up.
—Camila Gomez, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pile
Noun
State police later searched the area near the steel bridge and found among the piles of wood chips an envelope bearing the victim’s name, pieces of bone and tissue, a human fingernail and crowns to the victim’s teeth, prosecutors said.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
The study, from researchers at the University of Adelaide in Australia, is just the latest addition to a growing pile of evidence that suggests mammalian reproduction in space might be quite complicated, if not impossible.
—Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Verb
The effective oil blockade has caused blackouts and trash to pile up in the capital, with hospitals struggling to accommodate patients due to the energy crunch.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
In the immediate future, analysts predict higher prices for groceries, which have to be restocked frequently and could also see price hikes as businesses’ transportation costs pile up.
—Camila Gomez, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pile
Verb
-
All these factors stack the deck in the issuer’s favor.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Despite the odds being stacked against him, Colby says he's had more fun this time than in previous seasons.—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
We were huddled shoulder to shoulder on the floor at my bedroom door, listening at the decent-size crack.—
Kate Crane,
Rolling Stone,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Others huddle in tents pulled together from sheets of tarp along the curving coastal corniche or around Horsh Beirut, a park of pine trees on the outskirts of an area of the southern suburbs known as Dahiyeh.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For more than 20 years, OCPS has been building new schools to relieve crowding on existing ones, as student enrollment grew rapidly.—
Steven Walker,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Thirteen candidates crowded into this overwhelmingly blue district’s primary.—
David Daley,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This set, which includes a quilt and matching shams, features a box-stitch pattern that prevents fill from bunching.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Some 40 or 50 two and three-week-old calves bunched up and dropped behind the main body of caribou, and the black wolf was soon among them.—
Frank Glaser,
Outdoor Life,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pile. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
