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
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
The price hike for any individual item will likely be modest, but the pileup of extra costs could weigh on wallets, analysts previously told ABC News.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 30 Apr. 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
See All Example Sentences for pileup
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Ella Lee, The Hill, 6 May 2026
The price hike for any individual item will likely be modest, but the pileup of extra costs could weigh on wallets, analysts previously told ABC News.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 30 Apr. 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
See All Example Sentences for pileup
Cite this Entry
“Pileup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pileup. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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