1
as in stacks
a quantity of things thrown or stacked on one another
a large pile of newspapers that needed to be disposed of
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in loads
a considerable amount
a job that paid piles of money
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in heaps
to lay or throw on top of one another
piled all the clothes on the chair before putting them away
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in huddles
to gather into a closely packed group
the kids piled into the car
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of piles
Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 28 Feb. 2026
Defeat piles pressure on Starmer before May elections Labour won just over half the vote in Gorton and Denton at the last general election in 2024.
—CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
Add them to your to-be-read piles this month, and stay safe.
—Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026
As the mountainous snow piles from the February storms melt, their contents are revealed.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 26 Feb. 2026
Residents say progress on clearing roads and restoring electricity has helped, along with sunshine that is beginning to melt the towering snow piles.
—Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Light snow moved through parts of the Northeast on Wednesday as people heading to work and school were trying to navigate their way out of a massive storm that dropped piles of powder on streets and sidewalks from Maryland to Maine.
—ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
The city still lay in ruin, filled with piles of rubble and half-destroyed buildings.
—Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2026
Behold his corpse presented in front of two enormous piles of bottles, as green and resplendent as Christmas trees.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2026
Michael Salerno, AZCentral.com, 19 Feb. 2026
His intervention piles fresh pressure on the prime minister.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 9 Feb. 2026
But the cleanups did remove the garbage that piles up along the San Juan, robbing the gillagers of a reliable source of income.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
These outdoor hangout spots don't get much use during the winter, but snow still piles up on decks during winter storms.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 8 Jan. 2026
Blackwood’s absence piles it on with several layers of awful.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2026
Then Carol piles everything on her plate into a rough slice of avocado toast, mashing them together in an improvised layer.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
This recipe piles them on, casting apples — which are starting to appear at farmers markets — and nuts front and center as main characters supported by a chorus of greens.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Sep. 2025
That’s where the paperwork piles up, court fees skyrocket, and grieving families are forced into bureaucratic limbo for months — sometimes years.
—Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
When the power fails, businesses close, employees lose wages, and spoiled inventory piles up.
—Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 28 Feb. 2026
Defeat piles pressure on Starmer before May elections Labour won just over half the vote in Gorton and Denton at the last general election in 2024.
—CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
Add them to your to-be-read piles this month, and stay safe.
—Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026
As the mountainous snow piles from the February storms melt, their contents are revealed.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 26 Feb. 2026
Residents say progress on clearing roads and restoring electricity has helped, along with sunshine that is beginning to melt the towering snow piles.
—Aaron Parseghian, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026
Light snow moved through parts of the Northeast on Wednesday as people heading to work and school were trying to navigate their way out of a massive storm that dropped piles of powder on streets and sidewalks from Maryland to Maine.
—ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
The city still lay in ruin, filled with piles of rubble and half-destroyed buildings.
—Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2026
Behold his corpse presented in front of two enormous piles of bottles, as green and resplendent as Christmas trees.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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
But the cleanups did remove the garbage that piles up along the San Juan, robbing the gillagers of a reliable source of income.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
These outdoor hangout spots don't get much use during the winter, but snow still piles up on decks during winter storms.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 8 Jan. 2026
Blackwood’s absence piles it on with several layers of awful.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2026
Then Carol piles everything on her plate into a rough slice of avocado toast, mashing them together in an improvised layer.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025
This recipe piles them on, casting apples — which are starting to appear at farmers markets — and nuts front and center as main characters supported by a chorus of greens.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Sep. 2025
That’s where the paperwork piles up, court fees skyrocket, and grieving families are forced into bureaucratic limbo for months — sometimes years.
—Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piles
Verb
-
For All Mankind also debuted a new relaxed slim jean for women that stacks well over heels.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Special enough for a holiday occasion and hearty enough for a main course, this casserole stacks bright layers of veggies drenched in our Easy Cheese Sauce.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The couple huddles around a gas heater inside their home with their daughter and 4-year-old granddaughter to try and stay warm.—
Kati Weis,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Back at the castle, where the only thing haunting them is the ghosts of slain reality stars, everybody huddles to try to figure out whether to go for Ron or Colton.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Filming in front of real audiences, alongside real racers and real pit crews, the director crowds the screen with people.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
13 Dec. 2025
-
Long takes emphasize the mental labor of Hujar’s self-exploration, and Sachs’s framing (with cinematography by Alex Ashe) crowds the pair together to evoke the intimacy of their talk.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Fatemian simply bunches each slice slightly, creating a ruffled, flower-like radish slice that is then inserted between the rest of the vegetables.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Piles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piles. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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