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
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Recent Examples of pile (up)
Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2025
Less than 20 minutes after the first crash, on the other side of Glenwood Canyon, troopers responded to another pileup involving roughly 30 vehicles, according to the release.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 30 Nov. 2025
The Indiana State Police said no serious injuries were reported following Saturday’s 45-car pileup of commercial and passenger vehicles on Interstate 70.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 30 Nov. 2025
What To Know The pileup on I-70 was first reported just after noon on Saturday, near the 15-mile marker close to Terre Haute.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pile (up)
Noun
An unusually large pileup of Second Amendment challenges has landed at the Supreme Court, which will consider taking up the cases behind closed doors Friday.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2025
Less than 20 minutes after the first crash, on the other side of Glenwood Canyon, troopers responded to another pileup involving roughly 30 vehicles, according to the release.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 30 Nov. 2025
The Indiana State Police said no serious injuries were reported following Saturday’s 45-car pileup of commercial and passenger vehicles on Interstate 70.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 30 Nov. 2025
What To Know The pileup on I-70 was first reported just after noon on Saturday, near the 15-mile marker close to Terre Haute.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pile (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pile (up)
Verb
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Points will accumulate for 10 straight races in the playoffs, so technically a driver could clinch a championship before the final race was ever run.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Jan. 2026
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This friction causes the surface of the lens to accumulate and store a large amount of negative static electricity.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That front could spark a few brief rain or snow showers Sunday afternoon or early evening, mainly north and west of Philadelphia, with little to no accumulation expected.—
Andrew Kozak,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
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That would encourage new peat accumulation and carbon sequestration.—
Amy Green,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Many of Le Bop’s items come in solid colors, which are excellent for capsule wardrobe pieces, but one standout in the collection is this cheetah-print cardigan.—
Irene Richardson,
InStyle,
14 Jan. 2026
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Even Vladimir Nabokov organized the butterfly collection at the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, though that’s an example of work that’s even more ethereal than poetry.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Investigators gathered images from surveillance video that prosecutors said showed Thurman’s face and submitted them to Illinois’ facial recognition program, which led to his identification.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
16 Jan. 2026
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The roving raids targeting car washes, parking lots where day laborers gather and garment factories disrupted immigrant communities throughout the region for weeks in June and July.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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During the day, the birds lie motionless on the ground, blending into piles of leaves and tree stumps to hide from predators.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
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Each pepper is topped with a heaping pile of fontina cheese.—
Riley Wofford,
Martha Stewart,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
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Ray’s most chaotic photograms—jumbles that push out of the frame or look like time bombs ready to explode—find echoes in his films, projected on the back walls, a show in themselves.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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These two ingredients mixed together creates a powerful mixture perfect for lifting stubborn stains off grout because of their high cleaning and brightening properties.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
10 Jan. 2026
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Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating after each addition until just combined.—
Heather Riske,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Saturday’s massive protest in the Twin Cities took many shapes throughout the day, starting at Powderhorn Park, a historic spot for demonstrations, known as the prime gathering place for the 2020 George Floyd protests.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
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Each movement that takes you deeper into your misfit passion serves two purposes—information gathering and confidence building.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pile (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pile%20%28up%29. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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