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

Did the brutal weeks-long punishment of AI stocks culminate last week and reverse higher Monday after a pileup of adverse headlines? — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2026

The former Bearface of Brockhampton emerges for a solo album of slouchy bedroom pop-soul whose cramped pileup of influences guards a promising sensitivity. — H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 9 Nov. 2026

The cosmic pileup left behind three new galaxies, each bereft of dark matter, each left to struggle to form a new batch of stars. — Quanta Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026

The Toronto International Film Festival comes at the end of the three-fest September pileup that marks the official start of award season. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 21 Sep. 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