as in to accumulate
to gradually form into a layer, pile, or mass
snow piling up in the driveway at a rapid pace
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in accumulation
a mass or quantity that has piled up or that has been gathered over a period of time
a pileup of e-mail messages that needed to be dealt with
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of pile (up)
Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026
On Tuesday night, New York City’s color-loving partygoers braved the fierce cold, emerging from cars on Gansevoort Street clad in floor-length sequin gowns and a kaleidoscope of prints, stepping over three-foot snow pileups to enter the museum.
—Gaby Keiderling, Vogue, 28 Jan. 2026
Search and rescue Ward and Riley carried their first patient, a young woman, to the ambulance about an hour after the pileup began.
—Nichole Manna, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Jan. 2026
And finally… ▶️ Massive pileup in snowy Michigan A 100-plus vehicle pileup in Michigan on Monday brought traffic to a standstill during dangerous whiteout conditions.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pile (up)
Noun
Tulare County officials initially estimated that 150 vehicles were involved in the crash in a post shared to Facebook earlier on Saturday, but CHP disputed that number, saying there were 59 vehicles involved in the pileup.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026
On Tuesday night, New York City’s color-loving partygoers braved the fierce cold, emerging from cars on Gansevoort Street clad in floor-length sequin gowns and a kaleidoscope of prints, stepping over three-foot snow pileups to enter the museum.
—Gaby Keiderling, Vogue, 28 Jan. 2026
Search and rescue Ward and Riley carried their first patient, a young woman, to the ambulance about an hour after the pileup began.
—Nichole Manna, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Jan. 2026
And finally… ▶️ Massive pileup in snowy Michigan A 100-plus vehicle pileup in Michigan on Monday brought traffic to a standstill during dangerous whiteout conditions.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pile (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pile (up)
Verb
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Over 12 years of eligibility, this could accumulate to more than €1,440 ($1,700) per child, not counting the potential investment gains from compounding interest over the decade.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
16 Feb. 2026
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Currently, the odds favor areas north of the Massachusetts Turnpike for accumulating snow with mainly rain or a rain/snow mix south of the Pike.—
Terry Eliasen,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Total snow accumulations of 1 to 4 inches for 3500 to 4500 feet elevation including the Grapevine of the Interstate-5 Corridor possible.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
14 Feb. 2026
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The restaurant was in violation of 16 standards, including employees not using hair restraints and rust accumulation on prep surfaces.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The decade-and-a-half-old Eckhaus Latta reflects a larger shift in what was once called hipster culture, from what the warm, cuddly and whimsical (early Eckhaus Latta collections were filled with colorful, easy knits and denim) to something hard and even chic.—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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Nixon said the data collection and reporting now aligns with agency priorities.—
Mike Stobbe,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And as traders bought more, the gains gathered steam, resulting in skyrocketing prices.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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Several dozen demonstrators also gathered at Temple and Alameda streets near the federal building, and a broadcast report said police issued a dispersal order there.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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What piles up now melts gradually through spring and summer, feeding rivers, farms, and household taps long after the clouds clear.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
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In sheer dollar terms, the pile of money owed by the government is projected under the CBO’s baseline scenario to balloon from nearly $31 trillion today to a staggering $56 trillion over the next decade.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
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The result also spotlights conference championships’ awkward fit in the current system, particularly given the fact that conference expansion has led to jumbles atop each league’s standings.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
7 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Without aluminum alloys and other metallic mixtures, assembly lines churning out modern tanks, trucks and airplanes would grind to a halt.—
Thomas Robertson,
Fortune,
17 Feb. 2026
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The initial half-hour of rain is when roads are slickest due to a mixture of rain, grime, and oil.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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While Americans searched for spaces for deeper community in that span, CultureCon – which now dubs itself the world's largest meetup of creatives – sprouted from a gathering of 21 people in Ellis' apartment to an annual gathering place for 12,000 attendees.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
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It’s envisioned as a regional draw capable of hosting youth hockey, skating events, tournaments and other large indoor gatherings.—
Kendrick Calfee
February 14,
Kansas City Star,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pile (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pile%20%28up%29. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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