pile (up) 1 of 2

verb

Definition of pile (up)next
as in to accumulate
to gradually form into a layer, pile, or mass snow piling up in the driveway at a rapid pace

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pileup

2 of 2

noun

ˈpī(-ə)l-ˌəp How to pronounce pileup (audio)
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 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 (up)
Noun
But the pileup of injuries — and the uncertainty surrounding Aaron Judge’s injury timeline — convinced us to keep them in Tier 2. — Tim Britton, New York Times, 27 July 2026 The massive pileup happened Sunday after a tractor-trailer crashed into multiple vehicles on a highway in the western state of Jalisco, according to the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection of Nayarit. — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026 The huge animals knocked down bodies to the cobblestones, and stumbling runners caused several pileups during the 2½-minute run from the pen to the bullring where bullfighters would kill the bulls later in the day. — Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026 If this is food-history whiplash, bring on the 17-car pileup. — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 9 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for pile (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pile (up)
  1. accumulate
  2. accumulation
  3. gather
  4. collection
  5. pile
  6. jumble
  7. mixture
  8. gathering
Verb
  • Following the successful first model, this iteration will feature binned A19 Pro chips, repurposed from iPhone 17 Pro production, which dictates its release timeline as chip stock accumulates.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Ensuring that intelligence accumulated through one robot does not become useless when the hardware changes.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of accumulate
Noun
  • Food safety experts say that the accumulation of outbreaks this summer is striking but that tracking the number of outbreaks — or recalls, for that matter — isn’t the best way to capture the risk from foodborne pathogens.
    — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The measurements showed spin accumulation at the chiral copper surface, supporting the idea that the helical structure was creating spin polarization.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of accumulation
Verb
  • Full of music, dance, and vibrant colors, thousands of people gathered to attend the annual Boston Dominican parade and festival on Sunday afternoon.
    — Paul Burton, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The incident in Bihar occurred near Ashok Dham Temple in Lakhisarai district, as thousands of devotees gathered to offer prayers on the third Monday of Shravan, one of the holiest months in the Hindu calendar.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of gather
Noun
  • The pricing shows just how wide that opportunity has become, whilst a Voyageur Celina Backpack sits at around $495, the brand’s McLaren luggage collection can reach $2,695+.
    — Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The English poet Peter Bayley used it in an 1803 poetry collection to describe a painting of Jesus.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of collection
Noun
  • Other factors, including enormous public debt piles, are also contributing to elevated yields.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Video from the scene showed a pile of shoes on the sidewalk near the water and sand.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of pile
Noun
  • Arches and natural bridges sweep like buttresses from jumbles of rock, giving this landscape a mystical, cathedral-like quality.
    — Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.
    — Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of jumble
Noun
  • Add the sugar and date molasses to the brown butter and use a hand mixer (or whisk by hand) until the sugar dissolves and the mixture turns pale.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The team used a mixture of zinc chloride and lithium bromide salts to dissolve the cellulose.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of mixture
Noun
  • Unfortunately, pandemic restrictions on public gatherings meant there was no championship parade, and the title proved to be the lone triumph of James’ Lakers era.
    — Law Murray, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Pat is a little bit like an inappropriate uncle at a family gathering in the 1970s.
    — Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of gathering

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piles (up)
pile (up)
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Cite this Entry

“Pile (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pile%20%28up%29. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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