pile 1 of 3

Definition of pilenext
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pile

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noun (2)

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

pile

3 of 3

verb

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
Kingsley Glade, Three Prong and Sugarfoot Campgrounds pile burning in western Tehama County. Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 9 Jan. 2026 One year after a firestorm ripped through Sue Decker’s neighborhood in the foothills of Altadena, California, her street is still a barren vista of empty lots and piles of dirt where tidy bungalows once stood. Kyung Lah, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
Admin sites pile burning at Wilson Camp, Log Springs, Paskenta, Alder Springs, Wells Cabin, Chico Seed Orchard, Red Bluff and Stonyford. Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 9 Jan. 2026 The federal officer steps in front of the Honda SUV, parked nearly perpendicular across a one-way residential street in Minneapolis, with snow piled up on the curb. Claire Galofaro, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pile
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pile
Verb
  • The mega-retailer is always stacked with endless deals that can’t be beat, and its current deals on winter boots are super impressive.
    Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2026
  • Splitting and stacking the wood was her brother’s job, one of his favorite tasks.
    Sadia Shepard, New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • In the hour leading up to the parade were brief periods of heavy rain as attendees began gathering on Colorado Boulevard, where fold-up chairs were empty as people huddled under various building awnings or archways.
    Paris Barraza, USA Today, 1 Jan. 2026
  • Many of the attendees huddled together, wearing hats, scarves and oversized coats.
    Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 1 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Factors like the weather can also impact behavior such as crowding indoors, which can increase the spread of influenza, experts said.
    Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 6 Jan. 2026
  • Iran’s streets are crowded again as a weeks-long protest continues.
    Editorial Board, Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • But these waves would sometimes bunch up and collect on themselves, pulling together with their own gravity, without collapsing.
    Paul Sutter, Space.com, 26 Dec. 2025
  • Fabric bunched itself over windows, canopy beds, and frilled out from sofas as skirts.
    Maya Ibbitson, Architectural Digest, 23 Dec. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pile. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.

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