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
This pileup of unsold inventory is reflected in the current mismatch between sellers and buyers, with the first outnumbering the latter by nearly 500,000, the real estate brokerage found.
—
Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
Photo: Courtesy of Dior Maria Grazia’s creations were striking yet pared back enough to accommodate a single statement necklace or a pileup of jewels, with perhaps a diamond rivière, a pearl sautoir, or brooch at the waist, or a slither of diamonds at the ankle.
—Vogue, 6 May 2025
The family of a North Texas woman killed in the 133-car pileup during the February 2021 ice storm has settled with the company that operates the toll lanes.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 2025
Aerial footage captured by KTLA News helicopters showed a three-vehicle pileup in the parking lot.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pileup
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Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
Photo: Courtesy of Dior Maria Grazia’s creations were striking yet pared back enough to accommodate a single statement necklace or a pileup of jewels, with perhaps a diamond rivière, a pearl sautoir, or brooch at the waist, or a slither of diamonds at the ankle.
—Vogue, 6 May 2025
The family of a North Texas woman killed in the 133-car pileup during the February 2021 ice storm has settled with the company that operates the toll lanes.
—Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 2025
Aerial footage captured by KTLA News helicopters showed a three-vehicle pileup in the parking lot.
—Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pileup
Cite this Entry
“Pileup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pileup. Accessed 23 Jun. 2025.
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