stockpile

1 of 2

noun

stock·​pile ˈstäk-ˌpī(-ə)l How to pronounce stockpile (audio)
Synonyms of stockpilenext
: 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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
During the first of his two terms as CEO, Iger opted to deploy Disney’s treasury to buy Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm, believing that the company with the greatest stockpile of intellectual property wins. Brent Lang, Variety, 25 Feb. 2026 Japanese companies are well known for maintaining rare earth stockpiles and until at least December, the latest date for which export data is available, China was regularly sending large shipments to Japan. Reuters, NBC news, 24 Feb. 2026
Verb
Inside church walls, some are already fortifying rooms and stockpiling food and blankets. Caitlin Hu, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026 Rainwater tends to stockpile on the edges of roads. Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 19 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stockpile

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1872, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1921, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stockpile was in 1872

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stockpile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stockpile. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on stockpile

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster