pileup

noun

pile·​up ˈpī(-ə)l-ˌəp 

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

b

: accumulation

Synonyms of pileup

• accumulation
• collection
• pile
• jumble
• mixture
• gathering
• assemblage
• cumulation

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

The pileup also included past All-Star winners and series champions Blaney and Elliott, as well as Daniel Suarez, John Hunter Nemechek and Michael McDowell. —ABC News, 17 May 2026

Apple added to the pileup on Monday by bringing its dispute with Epic Games to the justices’ emergency docket. —Ella Lee, The Hill, 6 May 2026

More than a decade of tackles, blocks and pileups has taken a toll on many former professional football players, something former Atlanta Falcons lineman Phil McKinnely knows all too well. —Roni Robbins, AJC.com, 21 Apr. 2026

Staffers also contacted the Colorado State Patrol, as the 70-car pileup happened, to alert law enforcement. —Alan Gionet, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pileup

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup