pile 1 of 3

noun (1)

Definition of pilenext
1
as in stack
a quantity of things thrown or stacked on one another a large pile of newspapers that needed to be disposed of

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in loads
a considerable amount a job that paid piles of money

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in bundle
a very large amount of money she made a pile in the stock market just before it headed south

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pile

2 of 3

noun (2)

1
as in fur
a soft airy substance or covering the lush pile of the carpeting

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2
as in wool
the hairy covering of a mammal especially when fine, soft, and thick a dog with such a dense pile that he never minded the cold

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pile

3 of 3

verb

1
as in to stack
to lay or throw on top of one another piled all the clothes on the chair before putting them away

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to huddle
to gather into a closely packed group the kids piled into the car

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 pile
Noun
Many stone walls started as crude piles of cobbles tossed out of the fields and onto the boundary lines. — Matt Seaton, The Atlantic, 19 July 2026 Swimsuits will be on every single person and nobody will have to dodge any piles of dog crap. — Sean Joseph Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2026
Verb
The 2026 World Cup was an undeniable sensation in the United States, setting records for television ratings while millions of fans piled into stadiums to take in all the action. — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 19 July 2026 Take Care of Dirty Dishes Immediately Letting dirty dishes pile up inside the sink or on the countertop makes a kitchen look messy and smell unpleasant. — Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for pile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pile
  1. stack
  2. loads
  3. bundle
  4. fur
  5. wool
  6. huddle
  7. mound
  8. ton
Noun
  • Every four years the American Society of Civil Engineers marks the nation's roads, bridges, dams and water systems the way a schoolmaster works through a stack of exam papers.
    — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • More of a rotational player than a starter at Notre Dame the past two seasons, Viliamu-Asa has the ability to be a three-down weapon in any college defense and projects as an interesting stack linebacker with sam/edge capability.
    — Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of stack
Noun
  • Why the farmer’s walk works Walking with heavy loads recruits nearly every major muscle group, with particular activation in the core and lower body.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
  • Flaxseeds From lowering cholesterol to lowering the risk of certain diseases, flaxseeds come with loads of health benefits.
    — Audrey Noble, Vogue, 24 July 2026
Definition of loads
Noun
  • Futurama premieres Monday, August 3 with two new episodes on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers and Disney+ internationally.
    — Katie Campione, Deadline, 25 July 2026
  • As recently as July 20, Roku listed the bundle at $60 with a sale price of $25, according to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine.
    — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 24 July 2026
Definition of bundle
Noun
  • Sophie Reeder, 15, left her home in the 1300 block of Citrus Isle on the night of May 19, 2017, wearing a brown fur coat and a pair of Beats by Dre headphones over her head.
    — Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2026
  • The species features mainly black fur, cape-like shoulders and a long tail, per Florida Atlantic University’s release.
    — Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
Definition of fur
Noun
  • Behind the modern oak desk was a green mohair-wool sofa where Sonya read in the evenings.
    — Min Jin Lee, New Yorker, 19 July 2026
  • Thousands of fans are flooding through the gates with sunscreen in their packs rather than wool hats.
    — Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of wool
Verb
  • So many of the crew members made the trek to Altadena that night and huddled off camera to watch Prince perform.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026
  • After celebrating, a video posted by BBC Sport showed the Belgian squad huddling together to bask in their victory, before breaking out into dance.
    — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026
Definition of huddle
Noun
  • Arrighetti exited the mound at Rate Field after a brief conversation, continuing the right-hander’s confounding, two-month collapse while thrusting Houston’s rotation into a further state of flux.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 25 July 2026
  • Webb on the mound, the Giants positioned themselves to cruise to an easy victory.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 25 July 2026
Definition of mound
Noun
  • Charlotteans illegally dump about 10 tons of trash every single day — much of it large, bulky items — and the city has to divert garbage crews from normal routes to collect it.
    — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2026
  • The World Gold Council has more recently put the figure at 161 tons.
    — German Padinger, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
Definition of ton

Phrases Containing pile

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pilasters
pile
piled
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Cite this Entry

“Pile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pile. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pile

Nglish: Translation of pile for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pile

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