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
Five people have died, and dozens of others were injured after a massive pileup of more than 30 vehicles in Colorado, officials say.
—
Melina Khan, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
The pileup on Interstate 25 south of Pueblo, Colorado, involved over 30 vehicles and occurred after winds gusted up to 61 mph.
—Amanda Musa, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
Another man injured in the massive Tuesday pileup on Interstate 25 in southern Colorado died overnight, bringing the number of people killed to five, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 18 Feb. 2026
Seven vehicles were involved in two pileups that occurred in a five-minute period Monday on the Golden Gate Bridge, the California Highway Patrol reported.
—Cameron MacDonald, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pileup
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Melina Khan, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
The pileup on Interstate 25 south of Pueblo, Colorado, involved over 30 vehicles and occurred after winds gusted up to 61 mph.
—Amanda Musa, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
Another man injured in the massive Tuesday pileup on Interstate 25 in southern Colorado died overnight, bringing the number of people killed to five, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 18 Feb. 2026
Seven vehicles were involved in two pileups that occurred in a five-minute period Monday on the Golden Gate Bridge, the California Highway Patrol reported.
—Cameron MacDonald, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 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 25 Feb. 2026.
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