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 suspects were linked to an Oxford retail business where police allegedly found stockpiles of drugs including THC products and kratom, which is legal in many parts of the country but not in Lafayette County. — Adam Sabes , Michael Ruiz , Madison Scarpino, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026

The letters cite stories on construction details related to the East Wing bunker, funding for the White House ballroom, munitions stockpiles impacted by the Iran war and sanctions against Russia. — Josh Feldman, NBC news, 23 Sep. 2026

Verb

Analysts at research firm Trivium and think tank ODI Global said the surge points to Beijing stockpiling to protect its economy against market vicissitudes, given the global scarcity of PGMs. — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026

China’s years of stockpiling crude, cutting imports and shifting toward electric vehicles have curbed demand, shielding the world economy from sharper price shocks. — Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 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