stockpile

noun

stock·pile | \ ˈstäk-ˌpī(-ə)l

Definition of stockpile

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a storage pile: such as

a : a reserve supply of something essential accumulated within a country for use during a shortage

b : a gradually accumulated reserve of something avert stockpiles of unsold cars— Bert Pierce

stockpile

verb

stockpiled; stockpiling; stockpiles

Definition of stockpile (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to place or store in or on a stockpile

2 : to accumulate a stockpile of a country suspected of stockpiling weapons

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Examples of stockpile in a Sentence

Noun

a stockpile of medical supplies an emergency stockpile of potable water and canned goods in the cellar

Verb

The government stockpiled vaccines to prepare for a flu epidemic. we should be able to stockpile enough vaccine for the upcoming flu season

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

According to the report, Iran's stockpile of low-enriched uranium was greater than the 660-pound limit set by the nuclear deal. — Fox News, "Iran fires back at White House over claims it has been violating nuclear deal for years: 'Seriously?'," 3 July 2019 Significant doubts remain, though, about the future of the negotiations and the North’s willingness to give up its stockpile of nuclear weapons . — Jonathan Lemire, Twin Cities, "At DMZ, step into history for Trump as he offers hand to Kim," 30 June 2019 In the meantime, Iran will build up some leverage – enhancing its uranium stockpile and threatening the stability of the Middle East and safety of crucial shipping lanes. — Bobby Ghosh, The Denver Post, "Commentary: Trump’s Iran sanctions are the sane alternative to military action," 28 June 2019 The Helium Privatization Act of 1996 approved by Congress directed the government to start to liquidate the helium reserve assets in 2005 and sell its stockpile by 2015. — Laura Garcia, ExpressNews.com, "Global helium market faces more uncertainty as government prepares to sell its stockpile stored in Texas," 21 June 2019 The most important thing for any attack on a chemical weapons stockpile is reliable intelligence on where these weapons are hiding. — David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, "These Are Syria's Chemical Weapons. Here's How To Destroy Them," 13 Apr. 2018 The nation's commercial stockpiles of crude oil spiked by 6.8 million barrels last week and overall petroleum inventories skyrocketed by more than 22 million barrels as oil markets turn increasingly bearish. — Jordan Blum, Houston Chronicle, "Crude inventories spike again as oil slumps toward $50," 5 June 2019 England is on a wartime footing, if the stockpiles of goods in warehouses are any indication. — Paul Page, WSJ, "Today’s Logistics Report: Shipping Fueling Up; Britain is Hoarding; Tesla Deliveries Stall," 5 Apr. 2019 What is more Camp than a 'fro of impractical proportions, complete with its own stockpile of hair tools? — Jihan Forbes, Allure, "Lupita Nyong'o Wore Makeup Inspired by Iconic Drag Queen Divine to the 2019 Met Gala," 7 May 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

He was accused earlier this year of stabbing a police officer outside a Southeast Portland middle school and illegally stockpiling guns and ammunition in his apartment. — oregonlive.com, "Man accused of stabbing police officer in SE Portland arrested again, months later, in Tillamook," 12 July 2019 Some programs had as many as 150 players on full rides, the idea being that if USC could stockpile the top 10 running backs then that was one fewer than rival UCLA would have. — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: Celebrate the US women’s soccer team, but also celebrate Title IX," 8 July 2019 The Clippers’ brain trust shipped off Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, stockpiled picks and cap space, and patiently waited to strike. — Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press, "Pistons can't attract a Kawhi Leonard. But they do have a reason for hope," 7 July 2019 This may be due to the Old Lady stockpiling euros for the transfer and salary of Matthijs de Ligt, who is thought to be nearing a move to Turin. — SI.com, "Juventus Offer Man Utd Choice of Three Stars in Exchange for Paul Pogba," 4 July 2019 One warning about the unstable young man who’d been stockpiling guns and threatening to shoot up a school came on Jan 5, 2018. — Susannah Bryan, sun-sentinel.com, "Parents of Parkland shooting victim sue FBI over bungled tips," 30 June 2019 The authority stockpiles vaccines, drugs, and other treatments in case of public health emergencies, including chemical, biological, and nuclear attacks. — Jonathan Saltzman, BostonGlobe.com, "Fast-growing Vericel finds success on two fronts: knee surgery and burn care," 11 June 2019 The story highlighted the importance of stockpiling seeds should climate change, famine, political strife, or other events damage the food supply. — Dornith Doherty, National Geographic, "These x-rays of seeds turn biology into art," 22 Mar. 2019 Teams have been stockpiling salary cap space for just such a moment. — Jeff Mcdonald, ExpressNews.com, "Spurs set for quiet start to free agency," 29 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stockpile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.