stockpile

1 of 2

noun

stock·​pile ˈstäk-ˌpī(-ə)l 

: 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

2 of 2

verb

stockpiled; stockpiling; stockpiles

transitive verb

1

: to place or store in or on a stockpile

2

: to accumulate a stockpile of

a country suspected of stockpiling weapons

stockpiler noun

Synonyms of stockpile

Noun

• stash
• hoard

Verb

• store
• stash
• hoard
• accumulate

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

The other major reason oil prices didn’t rise as high as feared is because China built up its storage stockpiles to all-time highs and dramatically cut down on its imports after the war began. — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 9 July 2026

The economic damage from the energy shock has been limited partly because countries could draw on existing oil stockpiles and because oil-exporting countries outside the Persian Gulf stepped up production. — Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026

Verb

During the Revolutionary War, General Washington worried that British troops were stockpiling weapons and ammunition in the fort and preparing to attack northern colonies. — Lane Degregory, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 2026

This is because companies tend to work to preserve profit margins in the face of variables like tariffs and took aggressive action to dodge the brunt of the tariffs following their announcements, such as stockpiling goods. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 9 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1872, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1921, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for stockpile

• argyle
• awhile
• beguile
• compile
• condyle
• defile
• erstwhile
• exile
• freestyle
• gentile
• hairstyle
• lifestyle

Kids Definition

stockpile

noun

stock·​pile

ˈstäk-ˌpīl

: an extra supply especially of something necessary accumulated within a country for use during a shortage

stockpile verb