stack
verb
stacked; stacking; stacks
1
a
: to arrange in a stack : pile
b
: to pile in or on
stacked the table with books
stack the dishwasher
2
a
: to arrange secretly for cheating
stack a deck of cards
b
—used to describe a situation in which one person, team, etc., is unfairly given an advantage over others
There are things you can do to stack the odds in your favor.
The cards/odds are stacked against us.
will stack juries to suit themselves—
Patrice Horn
Patrice Horn3
a
: to assign (an airplane) by radio to a particular altitude and position within a group circling before landing
b
: to put into a waiting line
Another dozen rigs are stacked up and waiting …—P. H. Hutchins, Jr.
P. H. Hutchins, Jr.4
: compare
—used with against
How does this computer function when stacked against other models?
: to form a stack
stacker
noun
Examples of stack in a Sentence
She spent the afternoon splitting and stacking firewood.
She stacked the plates in the cupboard.
He stacked the books on the table.
The other players accused him of stacking the deck.
Recent Examples on the Web
Nearly everything begins on the wheel before being punctured, stretched, stacked, folded, or otherwise pushed into shape.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 8 June 2026
These funds would stack on top of other sources of income, such as Social Security.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 8 June 2026
The team then stacked dielectric and metal layers on top of the GaN and diamond to create a working circuit.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 8 June 2026
Use a shallower container so that the berries are not stacked too deep.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for stack
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Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 8 June 2026
These funds would stack on top of other sources of income, such as Social Security.
—Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 8 June 2026
The team then stacked dielectric and metal layers on top of the GaN and diamond to create a working circuit.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 8 June 2026
Use a shallower container so that the berries are not stacked too deep.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for stack
Cite this Entry
“Stack.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stack. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stack
1 of 2 noun
1
: a large pile (as of hay, straw, or grain) usually shaped like a cone
2
a
: an orderly pile of objects usually one on top of the other
a stack of dishes
b
: a large number or amount
4
: a structure with shelves for storing books
—usually used in plural
stack
2 of 2 verb
: to arrange in or form a stack : pile
stacked the dishes on the table
stacker
noun
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