pile (up) 1 of 2

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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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)
Verb
  • Hassouna and co-editor Denis LePaven pace the chronological patchwork of footage less as a story with a predestined shape, and more as shifting tiles of accumulating losses that the audience can traverse without being too overwhelmed.
    Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The forces of destruction accumulated through the Second World War.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The gradual accumulation of these substances in the body can disrupt normal physiological functions, ultimately leading to disease, impaired health, and, in severe cases, death.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The method could combat refuse accumulation and provide sustenance in remote or disaster locations — or in space someday.
    Devika Rao, TheWeek, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Every autumn, as the bay freezes, hundreds of these bears gather around it before heading out across the ice, and thousands of tourists come to see them.
    The Week UK, TheWeek, 6 Sep. 2026
  • As my family gathered at my younger brother's apartment in downtown Philadelphia the next day, the mood was deeply heavy.
    Laurel Dalrymple, NPR, 6 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Unsurprisingly, the Elie Saab H&M collection plays up after-dark glamour, and just in time for holiday party season, too.
    Tina Isaac-Goizé, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The trove of women’s bloomers, drawers, knickers, brassieres, corsets, and girdles is just a small part of the school’s historic clothing collection, with images shared by the University of Wyoming Libraries via JSTOR.
    April White, JSTOR Daily, 2 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • In body camera footage from the rescue, officers can be seen cutting the bolt on the back door of the trailer, revealing the two children and Brown sitting among piles of blankets.
    Avni Trivedi, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Suckers for a touch of whimsy, the company’s window dressers once garnished a display inspired by the Garde Républicaine, a famous French cavalry division, with a pile of horse manure.
    Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
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
Noun
  • Sprinkle with the seasoning mixture and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and gently toss to coat the fish.
    ABC News, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Sprinkle the garlic mixture over the pork, then use a wooden spoon to break up the meat and stir the seasonings into it.
    Kate Williams, AJC.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The theater has hosted a Jimmy Buffett concert, high school graduations, weddings, and other gatherings.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The film, which is seeking distribution, is set in winter 1975, when a mysterious woman crashes a holiday gathering.
    ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026

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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 10 Sep. 2026.

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