piles 1 of 3

plural of pile
1
2
as in loads
a considerable amount a job that paid piles of money

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

piles

2 of 3

noun (2)

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
as in wools
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

piles

3 of 3

verb

present tense third-person singular of pile

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 piles
Noun
Fans could choose from rows upon rows of cleats, stacks of polos, piles of official football jerseys, bins of socks and racks of helmets. Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026 The fire chief, Gene Perreault, who was there during the walk-through, tells me the piles puzzled investigators. Zander Sherman, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026 Police say riders have been trespassing in MDOT work zones, including areas associated with the Restore I-94 project, where large dirt and aggregate piles have been used as obstacle courses. Gino Vicci, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026 That’s just one example of AI tools eliminating piles of exhausting​​​, repetitive and routine work. Ritu Mohanka, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 By sunset, piles of weeds sit drying along the banks of the spring while water moves freely downstream toward villages waiting for the paddy season ahead. Umar Farooq, Christian Science Monitor, 6 Aug. 2026 At first glance, corals present as little more than colorful rocks — piles of lobes, stalagmites, and branches poking out from the seafloor. Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026 Move flammable materials such as mulch, plants, leaves and firewood piles away from wall exteriors. Hali Smith august 5, Idaho Statesman, 5 Aug. 2026 Companies are watching their cash piles dwindle, betting that all these upfront investments on data centers and costly AI systems from the likes of Nvidia will be profitable in the long run. Ari Levy,lora Kolodny, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026
Verb
Once a week, Hall piles his three kids in the car, drives five minutes to Costco and turns into the second row of the parking lot. Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 30 July 2026 According to relationship experts at The Gottman Institute, couples who talk through those details in advance tend to adjust more smoothly and argue less about the small stuff that piles up after move-in day. Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 29 July 2026 Instead of asking whether existing programs are delivering results, Congress piles new spending and new funding streams onto an already fragmented system. Andy Harris, Baltimore Sun, 4 July 2026 The dirty laundry never piles up, nor does the ready-to-fold pile. Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 30 June 2026 More specifically — and without spoiling a story that piles the twists as high as the corpses — Pine's an ex-British soldier pulled from his porter duties and recruited to surveil a ruthless arms dealer, Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie) staying at the hotel. Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026 The result piles more pressure on Starmer, the least popular prime minister since records began, according to some polls. Alexander Smith, NBC news, 27 Feb. 2026 But when snow piles up in powdery white masses, Arizonans can't resist the opportunity to play in it. Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 19 Feb. 2026 His intervention piles fresh pressure on the prime minister. Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piles
Noun
  • Databases, orchestration platforms and container systems that operate natively across multiple environments give you flexibility without the burden of managing several infrastructure stacks.
    Srini Srinivasan, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • These tall sea stacks stand dramatically against the cool blue sea.
    Molly Allen, Travel + Leisure, 10 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The type of helicopter that crashed can carry heavy loads and is commonly used in firefighting operations, with the ability to carry a more than 2,000-gallon tank.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026
  • When temperatures exceed 110°F, passenger planes must consider lightening their loads.
    John Vaillant, Time, 8 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • In others, background actors adjust their chain mail and faux furs and clutch prop weapons, some of which are designed to explode and splatter blood on impact.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 July 2026
  • The attractive, mid-30s crowd seemed to be a mix of friends and couples donning beards, tattoos, red lips, and furs worn with sneakers.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 June 2026
Noun
  • Using luxurious cottons, silks, wools and linen to emphasize the simplicity and ease of wardrobe staples — T-shirts, shorts, sweatshirts, skirts, button-down shirts, pants and tunics — elevating their wearability for day and night.
    Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Although the word cashmere is sometimes incorrectly applied to extremely soft wools, only the product of the cashmere goat is true cashmere.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • An engineer overhears a sales call where a partner is requesting a specific feature and immediately huddles with the salesperson once the line clicks shut.
    Vikram Joshi, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
  • The boiler is broken, so Kuhner huddles by a small space heater in his office in the winter.
    Emma Green, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Look for tunnels, mounds, runways, and feeding damage, and consider whether your plants or soil are bearing the brunt of the problem.
    Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Pine trees coat the forest floor with mounds of flammable dead leaves that are springy underfoot but which can smolder long after a blaze.
    ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
Noun
  • On Tuesday afternoon, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said his country would send two planes loaded with 100 tons of aid in the coming days.
    Duarte Dias, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Made of water-repellent nylon, the bag features a top handle and removable crossbody strap, tons of pouches and compartments for organization, and a padded laptop pocket.
    Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 12 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The idea of allergy-friendly dogs is not new, and breeds like poodles are often recommended for their hypoallergenic coats.
    Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Here, the two twin in camel coats in an off-duty moment at Paris Fashion Week 2022.
    Grace Gavilanes, PEOPLE, 8 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Piles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piles. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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