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
Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
That is what remains for much of the area away from the snow piles created by plows.
—Tammie Souza, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
The cold front is also bringing more snow to the area, adding to piles of snow that have yet to melt from last week’s major storm — the city’s biggest in five years — though accumulations are expected to be far lower.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
Every year, factories in China churn out all kinds of decorations for the Lunar New Year including piles of plush toys made according to the Chinese zodiac.
—Marissa Martinez, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
Most large fortunes are not sitting in piles of idle cash.
—Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
While one of his victims, 19-year-old Darrell Cabey, was paralyzed and suffered permanent brain damage in the shooting, he and the other victims were villainized, even receiving piles of hate mail.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 4 Feb. 2026
Shelf ice forms along beaches where ice piles up after being pushed to shore.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 4 Feb. 2026
The hideous curbside piles of frozen slush blocking New York City streets have a name.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2026
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
Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, alliances with various European powers shifted and forts rose, then fell into piles of matchsticks.
—Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
That is what remains for much of the area away from the snow piles created by plows.
—Tammie Souza, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
The cold front is also bringing more snow to the area, adding to piles of snow that have yet to melt from last week’s major storm — the city’s biggest in five years — though accumulations are expected to be far lower.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
Every year, factories in China churn out all kinds of decorations for the Lunar New Year including piles of plush toys made according to the Chinese zodiac.
—Marissa Martinez, NBC news, 5 Feb. 2026
Most large fortunes are not sitting in piles of idle cash.
—Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
While one of his victims, 19-year-old Darrell Cabey, was paralyzed and suffered permanent brain damage in the shooting, he and the other victims were villainized, even receiving piles of hate mail.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 4 Feb. 2026
Shelf ice forms along beaches where ice piles up after being pushed to shore.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 4 Feb. 2026
The hideous curbside piles of frozen slush blocking New York City streets have a name.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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
-
This recipe stacks smoky sausage and hash browns on a buttery biscuit, which is finished with a tangy pepper sauce.—
Nellah Bailey McGough,
Southern Living,
31 Jan. 2026
-
At the end of lunch, the entire crew scoops their leftover food into a compost bin, and then neatly stacks their containers on top of each others.—
Aaron Couch,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Jan. 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 9 Feb. 2026.
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