1
as in loads
a considerable amount
she always has a heap of good ideas you're in a heap of trouble for missing curfew!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in piles
a quantity of things thrown or stacked on one another
found her shoe under a heap of clothes on the floor
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in pours
to give readily and in large quantities
the critics heaped scorn on the wannabe blockbuster and its implausible plot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in fills
to put into (something) as much as can be held or contained
heaped her plate with spaghetti
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of heaps
Jeff Spry, Space.com, 26 May 2026
Vegas has heaps of playoff experience, with 11 players remaining from its Stanley Cup-winning team from 2023.
—Jesse Granger, New York Times, 25 May 2026
Equally eye-catching were the monumental chandeliers referencing the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha crown, with heaps of bronze florals stretching up to the glass roof that honors Caroline Astor’s love of roses, and flooring patterns that call to mind Budapest’s buzzing 19th-century literary cafés.
—Alia Akkam, Travel + Leisure, 16 May 2026
Over the years, excavations at Chagyrskaya Cave in southwestern Siberia have unearthed an assortment of Paleolithic treasures, including heaps of tools fashioned from stone and bone, alongside fossils from the easternmost population of Neanderthals.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 13 May 2026
These are the remnants of clothes discarded in the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and elsewhere that arrive in the northern Indian city of Panipat by the truckload, spilling over in loose, overflowing heaps.
—Ayushi Shah, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
Large heaps of dead branches pile by the entrance to the forest, with no real path through the tall grass between the road and the outer edge.
—Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2026
Mobile homes at Wash Trailer Park in Bogue Chitto were reduced to heaps of twisted metal and debris; Lincoln County alone reported roughly 200 homes damaged.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Pollack heaps praise on director Abbi Motlagh.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 4 May 2026
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Nov. 2025
Noun
This last sneak peek serves up heaps of colorful heroic set pieces as He-Man recruits a fearsome force to storm Castle Greyskull and reclaim the throne from his hateful nemesis.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 26 May 2026
Vegas has heaps of playoff experience, with 11 players remaining from its Stanley Cup-winning team from 2023.
—Jesse Granger, New York Times, 25 May 2026
Equally eye-catching were the monumental chandeliers referencing the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha crown, with heaps of bronze florals stretching up to the glass roof that honors Caroline Astor’s love of roses, and flooring patterns that call to mind Budapest’s buzzing 19th-century literary cafés.
—Alia Akkam, Travel + Leisure, 16 May 2026
Over the years, excavations at Chagyrskaya Cave in southwestern Siberia have unearthed an assortment of Paleolithic treasures, including heaps of tools fashioned from stone and bone, alongside fossils from the easternmost population of Neanderthals.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 13 May 2026
These are the remnants of clothes discarded in the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and elsewhere that arrive in the northern Indian city of Panipat by the truckload, spilling over in loose, overflowing heaps.
—Ayushi Shah, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
Large heaps of dead branches pile by the entrance to the forest, with no real path through the tall grass between the road and the outer edge.
—Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2026
Mobile homes at Wash Trailer Park in Bogue Chitto were reduced to heaps of twisted metal and debris; Lincoln County alone reported roughly 200 homes damaged.
—Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Pollack heaps praise on director Abbi Motlagh.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 4 May 2026
Verb
The Deb drama is far from over, as the film's director and costar Rebel Wilson heaps new allegations onto the already sizable legal pile.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heaps
Noun
-
This especially applies to our special education teachers, many of whom carry increasingly unsustainable case loads.—
Mercury News Editorial Board,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
-
For example, the commercial loads in the CBS Sunday afternoon NFL games are identical to the loads that pop up during the games streaming on Paramount+.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Rodent holes, brush piles, firewood, timbers, dense undergrowth, and leaf piles can also attract wasps in search of a place to nest.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
-
Knisley has worked with communities where coal ash was used to fill children’s ball fields and seen Tennessee Valley Authority waste piles of the toxic ash piled up behind a public playground, open to the wind.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
The damage to the concrete apron is not yet known; nor is the condition of the deluge system that pours up to a million gallons of water on the pad during launch to protect it from the heat of New Glenn’s engines and dampen the acoustical shock of a liftoff.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
29 May 2026
-
Meta is cutting 8,000 positions while Mark Zuckerberg pours billions into AI.—
Brandon Kochkodin,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Get two face powders for just $3 apiece with this clever, travel-friendly compact that stacks two flattering formulas in one.—
Olivia Cigliano,
InStyle,
22 May 2026
-
The three-story house, designed by architect Leigh Snow and built by developer Yousef Audi, stacks 3,573 square feet of living space up a steep incline carved out by a massive concrete retaining wall.—
Sandra Barrera,
Oc Register,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The music is usually blaring, flags are waving and a festive mood fills the air.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
24 May 2026
-
This 75-inch TCL T7 Series smart TV provides massive theater scale on a budget, combining native 4K resolution with Quantum Dot QLED color that fills the DCI-P3 color space.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
Enjoy arts and crafts, special performances and tons of activities that will keep everyone busy.—
Kayla Rivera,
AJC.com,
26 May 2026
-
In its first year, the bio-BDO plant will have a capacity of around 50,000 tons, which will eventually grow to roughly 200,000 tons.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
When Ray lavishes attention on another biker’s pet pillion, Kevin (Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters), Colin sulks until his master unzips his trousers and gives him a treat.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Majumdar lavishes her characters with careful attention, and so the reader comes to regard their most troubling actions as justified, if not inevitable.—
Tope Folarin,
The Atlantic,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The two-hour retrospective chronicles the British musician’s career from his early punk rock days in Generation X through his ‘80s MTV breakout and into his current role as a grandfather who also still regularly packs venues around the world.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
26 May 2026
-
Our expert take The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a punch for a $95 annual fee card, offering annual travel credits, comprehensive travel protections and more.—
Jason Stauffer,
CNBC,
25 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heaps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heaps. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
