1
as in stacks
a quantity of things thrown or stacked on one another
a large pile of newspapers that needed to be disposed of
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in loads
a considerable amount
a job that paid piles of money
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in heaps
to lay or throw on top of one another
piled all the clothes on the chair before putting them away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in huddles
to gather into a closely packed group
the kids piled into the car
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of piles
Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
The lobby, reminiscent of a living room, is designed with a mix of rattan lanterns, locally made ceramics, antique blue-and-white porcelain plates, potted plants, and piles of books.
—Gisela Williams, Travel + Leisure, 31 Jan. 2026
Prune off any branches broken by snow piles and the plant will quickly fill back in.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
What remains clear is that frigid temperatures and piles of snow by no means disproves climate change.
—Simmone Shah, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Send Help Being stranded on a tropical island isn't sounding so bad right now while major parts of the country are buried under piles of snow and suffering single-digit temperatures.
—Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
However, for a few decades now, that has not been allowed, which is why the piles of Pittsburgh snow are growing to incredible proportions.
—John Shumway, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
Tidy outdoor areas where insects and pests tend to hide, such as wood piles, leaf piles, overgrowth, or unkempt landscaping.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 30 Jan. 2026
Holiday trees are accepted in piles (remove any plastic, glass or metal decor).
—Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
january 30, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
These outdoor hangout spots don't get much use during the winter, but snow still piles up on decks during winter storms.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 8 Jan. 2026
Blackwood’s absence piles it on with several layers of awful.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2026
Then Carol piles everything on her plate into a rough slice of avocado toast, mashing them together in an improvised layer.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
This recipe piles them on, casting apples — which are starting to appear at farmers markets — and nuts front and center as main characters supported by a chorus of greens.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Sep. 2025
That’s where the paperwork piles up, court fees skyrocket, and grieving families are forced into bureaucratic limbo for months — sometimes years.
—Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
Satellite images show piles of dirt from the excavation growing in size.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
The lobby, reminiscent of a living room, is designed with a mix of rattan lanterns, locally made ceramics, antique blue-and-white porcelain plates, potted plants, and piles of books.
—Gisela Williams, Travel + Leisure, 31 Jan. 2026
Prune off any branches broken by snow piles and the plant will quickly fill back in.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
What remains clear is that frigid temperatures and piles of snow by no means disproves climate change.
—Simmone Shah, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
Send Help Being stranded on a tropical island isn't sounding so bad right now while major parts of the country are buried under piles of snow and suffering single-digit temperatures.
—Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 30 Jan. 2026
However, for a few decades now, that has not been allowed, which is why the piles of Pittsburgh snow are growing to incredible proportions.
—John Shumway, CBS News, 30 Jan. 2026
Tidy outdoor areas where insects and pests tend to hide, such as wood piles, leaf piles, overgrowth, or unkempt landscaping.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 30 Jan. 2026
Holiday trees are accepted in piles (remove any plastic, glass or metal decor).
—Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
january 30, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
But the cleanups did remove the garbage that piles up along the San Juan, robbing the gillagers of a reliable source of income.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
These outdoor hangout spots don't get much use during the winter, but snow still piles up on decks during winter storms.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 8 Jan. 2026
Blackwood’s absence piles it on with several layers of awful.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2026
Then Carol piles everything on her plate into a rough slice of avocado toast, mashing them together in an improvised layer.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
This recipe piles them on, casting apples — which are starting to appear at farmers markets — and nuts front and center as main characters supported by a chorus of greens.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Sep. 2025
That’s where the paperwork piles up, court fees skyrocket, and grieving families are forced into bureaucratic limbo for months — sometimes years.
—Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piles
Verb
-
This recipe stacks smoky sausage and hash browns on a buttery biscuit, which is finished with a tangy pepper sauce.—
Nellah Bailey McGough,
Southern Living,
31 Jan. 2026
-
At the end of lunch, the entire crew scoops their leftover food into a compost bin, and then neatly stacks their containers on top of each others.—
Aaron Couch,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Back at the castle, where the only thing haunting them is the ghosts of slain reality stars, everybody huddles to try to figure out whether to go for Ron or Colton.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
23 Jan. 2026
-
After almost every jump, Gu huddles with her mother and confidante, Yan, to review footage Yan recorded on her phone.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Filming in front of real audiences, alongside real racers and real pit crews, the director crowds the screen with people.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
13 Dec. 2025
-
Long takes emphasize the mental labor of Hujar’s self-exploration, and Sachs’s framing (with cinematography by Alex Ashe) crowds the pair together to evoke the intimacy of their talk.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Fatemian simply bunches each slice slightly, creating a ruffled, flower-like radish slice that is then inserted between the rest of the vegetables.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Piles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piles. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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