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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of piles
Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 29 May 2026
Knisley has worked with communities where coal ash was used to fill children’s ball fields and seen Tennessee Valley Authority waste piles of the toxic ash piled up behind a public playground, open to the wind.
—ArsTechnica, 29 May 2026
In July 2023, firefighters battled a blaze on the property for four days after a conveyor belt fire spread to bark chip piles and structures, according to local fire and rescue officials.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 29 May 2026
Teams at the top of CNBC's soccer rankings are global brands that collect big piles of cash from tickets, sponsorships and broadcasting rights.
—Michael Ozanian, CNBC, 29 May 2026
The tank can also produce ice ridges, compressed piles that form when ice fields collide and can extend tens of meters deep, though that’s occasional rather than routine.
—Deena Theresa, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026
Some had hoses trained on piles of smoking debris while others lifted and moved lumber and other burned wreckage as if searching for people underneath.
—ABC News, 28 May 2026
Both can choose to do so near people, including in wood piles and porch lights.
—Eva Flowe
may 28, Charlotte Observer, 28 May 2026
Some trained their hoses on piles of smoking debris while others removed lumber and other burned wreckage to look for anyone trapped underneath.
—Jamie Stengle, Chicago Tribune, 28 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
Rodent holes, brush piles, firewood, timbers, dense undergrowth, and leaf piles can also attract wasps in search of a place to nest.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 29 May 2026
Knisley has worked with communities where coal ash was used to fill children’s ball fields and seen Tennessee Valley Authority waste piles of the toxic ash piled up behind a public playground, open to the wind.
—ArsTechnica, 29 May 2026
In July 2023, firefighters battled a blaze on the property for four days after a conveyor belt fire spread to bark chip piles and structures, according to local fire and rescue officials.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 29 May 2026
Teams at the top of CNBC's soccer rankings are global brands that collect big piles of cash from tickets, sponsorships and broadcasting rights.
—Michael Ozanian, CNBC, 29 May 2026
The tank can also produce ice ridges, compressed piles that form when ice fields collide and can extend tens of meters deep, though that’s occasional rather than routine.
—Deena Theresa, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026
Some had hoses trained on piles of smoking debris while others lifted and moved lumber and other burned wreckage as if searching for people underneath.
—ABC News, 28 May 2026
Both can choose to do so near people, including in wood piles and porch lights.
—Eva Flowe
may 28, Charlotte Observer, 28 May 2026
Some trained their hoses on piles of smoking debris while others removed lumber and other burned wreckage to look for anyone trapped underneath.
—Jamie Stengle, Chicago Tribune, 28 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
-
Why book Mangrove forests, winding rivers, and sea stacks that rise dramatically from the ocean—the 99-island archipelago of Langkawi is rich with natural wonders, and the Four Seasons property is designed to provide the best vantage for experiencing it.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Firefighters were on the street hosing down the burning stacks of e-bikes, the live stream showed, and fire trucks were making their way through showers of sparks from fireworks being lit in the darkening Paris skies.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
This means that a small engine can handle immense power loads without generating wasteful heat.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
-
Romance, steamy chemistry, and loads of pettiness — these are the staples of Love Island USA.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
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
-
No one wanted to stand behind the commanding warriors, draped in blankets and furs, brass hoops in their earlobes, medals and wampum on their strong chests, silver armbands glinting in the light.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 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
-
Archaeologists are just beginning to understand how complex these mounds were.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
31 May 2026
-
This pie's tart lemon custard is surrounded by flaky, buttery pie crust, and topped with mounds of fluffy, golden-brown meringue.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
There are tons of spa treatments, all on the affordable side, ranging from an abdominal relaxation ritual for digestive lightness to cranial drainage for migraine relief.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
One such prize, the Nancy, was transporting 2,000 muskets, 30 tons of musket balls and a massive 15-inch brass mortar – supplies the American army desperately needed for the war effort.—
Christopher Magra,
The Conversation,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Neary’s belongings including fur coats, furniture and jewelry were auctioned later that month, with officials charged admission of 50 cents to prevent overcrowding of the apartment.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2026
-
Next, apply two coats of white nail polish, letting each layer dry completely.—
Elle Turner,
Glamour,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Piles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piles. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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