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
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 shortage of agents has caused massive pileups at security checkpoints.
—
Garrett Downs, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
At least one multi-vehicle pileup was reported due to the blinding dust sweeping across the state.
—Brett Tingley, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Pastrnak took it to the net, drew a penalty on Erik Haula and, with a pileup in front of the net, the puck squirted out to Lindholm.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
Five people died as a result of the multi-vehicle pileup.
—Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pileup
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.
Garrett Downs, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
At least one multi-vehicle pileup was reported due to the blinding dust sweeping across the state.
—Brett Tingley, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Pastrnak took it to the net, drew a penalty on Erik Haula and, with a pileup in front of the net, the puck squirted out to Lindholm.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
Five people died as a result of the multi-vehicle pileup.
—Jennifer McRae, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pileup
Cite this Entry
“Pileup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pileup. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
