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
Kate Bartlett, NPR, 3 Nov. 2025
On the other, the ability for bad actors to exploit those ballooning piles of data has grown in tandem.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2025
The flagship location in my hometown, with its brutalist architecture, piles of newspapers threatening to burst out of the shelves, and the abundance of books in every genre—particularly crime fiction, my first and still greatest love.
—Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
Fall foliage flew through the air as leopards Gemma and Meru recently pounced on piles of leaves inside a playroom at Nashville Zoo.
—Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Nov. 2025
An update on the report shows that the piles have grown and none of the original objects have moved, Raymond told ABC News.
—Camilla Alcini, ABC News, 31 Oct. 2025
Many of the town’s colorful homes, historical buildings and lush greenery have been reduced to piles of rubble that litter the now-muddy ground.
—Devon Sayers, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Traffic snarled as stop lights lie among piles of debris.
—George Solis, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2025
Make small piles or rows throughout the lawn to collect in bins or yard waste bags.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025
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
Due to a nationwide internet shutdown it's been difficult to get information from the ground, but videos circulated by rights groups show piles of corpses and young protesters with bullet wounds.
—Kate Bartlett, NPR, 3 Nov. 2025
On the other, the ability for bad actors to exploit those ballooning piles of data has grown in tandem.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2025
The flagship location in my hometown, with its brutalist architecture, piles of newspapers threatening to burst out of the shelves, and the abundance of books in every genre—particularly crime fiction, my first and still greatest love.
—Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
Fall foliage flew through the air as leopards Gemma and Meru recently pounced on piles of leaves inside a playroom at Nashville Zoo.
—Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Nov. 2025
An update on the report shows that the piles have grown and none of the original objects have moved, Raymond told ABC News.
—Camilla Alcini, ABC News, 31 Oct. 2025
Many of the town’s colorful homes, historical buildings and lush greenery have been reduced to piles of rubble that litter the now-muddy ground.
—Devon Sayers, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
Traffic snarled as stop lights lie among piles of debris.
—George Solis, NBC news, 30 Oct. 2025
Make small piles or rows throughout the lawn to collect in bins or yard waste bags.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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
-
Relief on that levy—which stacks on top of Liberation Day tariffs—could be a boon for the Asian nation at a time when domestic demand is weak.—
Bloomberg,
Fortune,
27 Oct. 2025
-
The Double ShackBurger stacks two quarter pound patties, American cheese, lettuce, tomato and ShackSauce.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks huddles with his team during the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 27, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 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 4 Nov. 2025.
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