pile (up) 1 of 2

Definition of pile (up)next
as in to accumulate
to gradually form into a layer, pile, or mass snow piling up in the driveway at a rapid pace

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pileup

2 of 2

noun

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 (up)
Noun
There’s a palpable fear that her smashmouth attack style won’t work, and his collaborative politics might, in a red state where a Republican primary pileup has given Democrats a rare opening. David Weigel, semafor.com, 2 Mar. 2026 Spring wind events can produce sudden dust storms that reduce visibility to near zero, leading to deadly highway pileups. Doyle Rice, USA Today, 1 Mar. 2026 In June 2024, undocumented Indian national Partap Singh was arrested for causing a multi-car pileup while driving a commercial 18-wheeler. Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 25 Feb. 2026 The pileup on Interstate 25 south of Pueblo, Colorado, involved over 30 vehicles and occurred after winds gusted up to 61 mph. Amanda Musa, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pile (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pile (up)
Verb
  • In 73 career regular-season games with the Sirens and Ottawa Charge, Roese has accumulated 25 points (3 goals, 22 assists).
    Twin Cities, Twin Cities, 31 Mar. 2026
  • The acidic composition of white vinegar works efficiently to break down the film that can accumulate on your windows.
    Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Adept at separating the unseen from the seen, Lemann here chronicles his family’s accumulation of wealth, whatever the moral costs or compromises, and their subsequent acculturation and partial deracination.
    Brenda Wineapple, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
  • The fan guards inside the walk-in cooler had an accumulation of dust.
    Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado April 3, Sacbee.com, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The museum’s director, Pierre-Olivier Costa, met me in the entry hall and led me through the galleries housing Mucem’s permanent exhibition of items from its collection of folk arts and popular traditions.
    Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Agencies would have to revisit investigative protocols, evidence collection procedures and interagency coordination, among other things, the governor said.
    Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • In Broadview, a few dozen gathered to commemorate the ritual outside alongside detainees.
    Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Ali, who wasn’t formally charged, called his family to say that he would be released on bail, and asked them to gather the funds and collect him from prison.
    Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Mendoza will mark the best moment of his life by hugging NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and throwing on the New Era 2026 NFL Draft On Stage Pre-Curved 9FIFTY Snapback Hat in Black and Silver, with a pile of skulls printed on the inside, as seen here.
    Megan Armstrong, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
  • San Jose didn’t follow through on the threats to take ownership of the property, but the city did use the receiver to coax the owner to bulldoze the property and remove piles of fire-scarred debris from the empty lots.
    George Avalos, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Arches and natural bridges sweep like buttresses from jumbles of rock, giving this landscape a mystical, cathedral-like quality.
    Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.
    Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Morton kosher salt, and ¼ cup heavy cream in a large bowl until pudding mix is dissolved and mixture is smooth.
    Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
  • The mixture was made from simple ingredients such as coconut oil, cocoa powder, sunflower oil, zinc, and thanaka tree bark.
    Matt Emma, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Need a last-minute ingredient for your Easter gathering?
    Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
  • This arsenal enables a broad mission set covering anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, land strikes, intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance, mine warfare, and support for special operations forces.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pile (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pile%20%28up%29. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster