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
Otherwise, the Democrats’ showing in the campaign has amounted to a pileup of debacles.
—
Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 4 June 2026
Suarez, 61, also slammed into a parked, occupied van that started a five-car pileup, police say.
—Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 23 May 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for pileup
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Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 4 June 2026
Suarez, 61, also slammed into a parked, occupied van that started a five-car pileup, police say.
—Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 23 May 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for pileup
Cite this Entry
“Pileup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pileup. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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