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
Bert Pierce
stockpiled; stockpiling; stockpiles
1
: to place or store in or on a stockpile
2
: to accumulate a stockpile of
a country suspected of stockpiling weapons
stockpiler
noun
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
Ben Finley, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
The drawdowns have left the US underprepared for potential conflict with Russia or China; in particular, replacing stockpiles of air-defense missiles — critical to supporting Taiwan should China invade — could take six years, The Wall Street Journal reported.
—Semafor Events, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Kansas City Star Weather Bot, Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026
Winners Cleveland Browns General manager Andrew Berry and his staff took an aggressive approach to wheeling, dealing and stockpiling picks while filling multiple needs.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stockpile
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Noun
Estimates of Iran’s mine stockpiles are in the low thousands, said Salisbury, of the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
—Ben Finley, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
The drawdowns have left the US underprepared for potential conflict with Russia or China; in particular, replacing stockpiles of air-defense missiles — critical to supporting Taiwan should China invade — could take six years, The Wall Street Journal reported.
—Semafor Events, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
Rainwater tends to stockpile on the edges of roads.
—Kansas City Star Weather Bot, Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026
Winners Cleveland Browns General manager Andrew Berry and his staff took an aggressive approach to wheeling, dealing and stockpiling picks while filling multiple needs.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stockpile
Cite this Entry
“Stockpile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stockpile. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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