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
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
Most earwig problems begin outside, where damp piles of leaves, firewood or other debris create an attractive environment for the insects.
—Dan Simms, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Most asteroids of this size are thought to be piles of rubble, conglomerations of rock loosely held together by gravity.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 May 2026
Those were fun days, trying to keep the boys engaged instead of making piles of sand or picking dandelions was a tall task in practice and during the games.
—Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
Brush piles near the entrances to shallow bays and coves are other thick cover favorites of Holley’s.
—John Phillips, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026
They could be seen on video from CBS Texas Chopper digging in the yard with excavators and shovels, sifting through piles of dirt.
—Briauna Brown, CBS News, 14 May 2026
The picturesque beaches that Southern California is known for look more like landfills as piles of debris blanket the landscape.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 14 May 2026
Concrete-block walls with pipes running down the tops of walls, piles of concrete, junk on top of junk.
—Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 May 2026
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
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
Noun
Many commencement speakers are given honorary degrees, but the prestige associated with such matters has declined over the years; six-figure piles of cash surely seem more useful than an ersatz doctorate given to an accomplished alumnus or once-local homegirl.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
Most earwig problems begin outside, where damp piles of leaves, firewood or other debris create an attractive environment for the insects.
—Dan Simms, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Most asteroids of this size are thought to be piles of rubble, conglomerations of rock loosely held together by gravity.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 May 2026
Those were fun days, trying to keep the boys engaged instead of making piles of sand or picking dandelions was a tall task in practice and during the games.
—Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 May 2026
Brush piles near the entrances to shallow bays and coves are other thick cover favorites of Holley’s.
—John Phillips, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026
They could be seen on video from CBS Texas Chopper digging in the yard with excavators and shovels, sifting through piles of dirt.
—Briauna Brown, CBS News, 14 May 2026
The picturesque beaches that Southern California is known for look more like landfills as piles of debris blanket the landscape.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 14 May 2026
Concrete-block walls with pipes running down the tops of walls, piles of concrete, junk on top of junk.
—Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 May 2026
Verb
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piles
Noun
-
It is still barely decorated, just a corkboard pinned with photos of the boys and a folding table covered with stacks of reports.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
-
Traditional three-tier applications are being augmented with agentic stacks.—
Shailesh Manjrekar,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
There are loads of under-the-radar towns along these states' coastlines that have their own unique charms and draws.—
Amy Thomas,
Travel + Leisure,
12 May 2026
-
Buckle up for loads of action and a wild ride through SoCal history and haunts.—
Paula L. Woods,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
The teaser doesn’t give away much of the plot, but the best part is Pugh standing in a funeral wearing all-black furs and round black sunglasses.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
-
Staff started out by wearing bear masks and animal furs, then crawling into the enclosure to spoon-feed the cubs formula.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Raising the bar on fabric research, Moorer paired technical wools or cotton chenille with silk, and introduced the rare and naturally soft yak fiber to the outerwear range.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Tinos huddles close to its much more popular cousin, Mykonos, just a 20-minute ferry ride away.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Cooking utensils and small mounds of clothes are kept in plastic bags or heaped on the ground.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
16 May 2026
-
And intriguing earthen mounds, built by prehistoric Native Americans more than 1,000 years ago, dot Greenwood Village interpretive site.—
Robert Annis,
Midwest Living,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Its regional office for Africa said Sunday on X that a team of 35 experts from the WHO and the Congolese Health Ministry had arrived in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, along with 7 tons of emergency medical supplies and equipment.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
18 May 2026
-
The fully reusable system is designed to carry more than 100 tons of cargo and eventually transport crews to the moon and Mars.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Several times a week, men in worn coats and brown fedoras in search of food and work would knock on our back door.—
Fran Moreland Johns,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
-
Opt for lightweight layers Oversized coats take up space and quickly become a burden.—
Chantelle Kincy,
Travel + Leisure,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Piles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piles. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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