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
as in accumulation
a mass or quantity that has piled up or that has been gathered over a period of time
a pileup of e-mail messages that needed to be dealt with
Synonyms & Similar Words
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)
Grayson Haver Currin, Outside Online, 20 June 2025
Tiler Peck, a current principal dancer for New York City Ballet, has a recurring role as Eva, a company member making her way back to the stage after wandering thoughts about her laundry and the military service of BTS members causes a multi-dancer pileup during act two of Swan Lake.
—Oliver Sava, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2025
Several big names from the NASCAR Cup Series were affected by the pileup, including Brad Keselowski, Ryan Preece, Joey Logano, and Kyle Larson.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce sightings in South Florida are becoming as common as pileups on the Palmetto Expressway these days.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pile (up)
Noun
The short answer: As of April 2025, the AT in the Southern states is like a horrific multi-car pileup on the interstate that happened hours ago, just long enough that the wreckage has been moved to the side of the road to allow for cars to pass.
—Grayson Haver Currin, Outside Online, 20 June 2025
Tiler Peck, a current principal dancer for New York City Ballet, has a recurring role as Eva, a company member making her way back to the stage after wandering thoughts about her laundry and the military service of BTS members causes a multi-dancer pileup during act two of Swan Lake.
—Oliver Sava, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2025
Several big names from the NASCAR Cup Series were affected by the pileup, including Brad Keselowski, Ryan Preece, Joey Logano, and Kyle Larson.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce sightings in South Florida are becoming as common as pileups on the Palmetto Expressway these days.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pile (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pile (up)
Verb
-
Parikh had found the culprit: AL amyloidosis, which is caused by bone marrow disease and can result in abnormal proteins accumulating in the heart muscle.—
Theoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Aug. 2025
-
The wealth and power the nation has been able to accumulate since emanates, directly, absolutely, from two great sins.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The accumulation of technical choices that follows—encoded in algorithms, embedded in protocols, and scaled across millions of patients—will cement the particular biases of this moment in time into medicine’s future.—
Craig Spencer,
The Atlantic,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Making the final tournament a winner-take-all for the Tour Championship is inconsistent with the season’s focus on FedEx point accumulation and standings.—
Sheldon H. Jacobson,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
There are a number of pressing issues that Palani and his colleagues will have to contend with for the Associates, a collection of 98 smaller cricket nations who only receive about 11 per cent of the ICC’s revenue distribution model.—
Tristan Lavalette,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
-
This year, the label will release nearly three dozen collections of Melanie's work.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Andy Buchanan | Afp | Getty Images As the U.S. vice president’s journey continued into Scotland, police were once more present — this time watching out for people who had gathered to witness Vance touch down.—
Sophie Kiderlin,
CNBC,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.—
Mark Cooper,
New York Times,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In 2023, facility residents told Louisville Metro Council members about mold, vermin, piles of trash and safety concerns at the complex, The Courier Journal reported.—
Killian Baarlaer,
The Courier-Journal,
22 Aug. 2025
-
Wall Street was obsessed with subscriber growth during Covid, and companies with new streaming platforms — Disney among them — priced the services low enough to attract tons of sign-ups, while losing piles of money in the process.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
In jumbles of old stones that, to me, are barely legible as the remains of buildings, Cocon López could see the entire timeline of old Aké and how later people interacted with and repurposed what came before.—
Lizzie Wade,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 May 2025
-
Instead, voters themselves are jumbles of competing and sometimes contradictory interests.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Stir cabbage into vinegar mixture until evenly coated.—
Sheri Castle,
Southern Living,
28 Aug. 2025
-
The researchers suggest focusing instead on using several different surfactants in the mixture.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pile (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pile%20%28up%29. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share