pileup

noun

pile·​up ˈpī(-ə)l-ˌəp How to pronounce pileup (audio)
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

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
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.
Last month, dust storms in Texas and Kansas reduced visibility on roads, resulting in multi-car pileups that killed at least 11 people. Joe Hernandez, NPR, 2 Apr. 2025 This mountain range, and the entire region, is filled with faults generated by that epic geological pileup. Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 28 Mar. 2025 According to spokesperson Paxton, two people died in the pileup involving more than 20 vehicles, including several tractor-trailers and 13 passenger vehicles, per USA Today. Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 23 Mar. 2025 In Kansas, a deadly highway pileup involving at least 50 vehicles left eight people dead, while three others lost their lives in crashes caused by blinding dust near Amarillo, Texas. David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pileup

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pileup was in 1900

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pileup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pileup. Accessed 7 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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