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
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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
Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 10 Nov. 2025
His investing strategy has turned on an incessant search for value, with Berkshire Hathaway often sitting on giant piles of cash until just the right deal comes through.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025
The star sparkled in a curve-hugging black sequin Diane von Furstenberg gown, adding a black fur stole and piles of diamond jewelry.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
Such is the scale of the violence that blood and piles of bodies are visible from space, according to experts at the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab.
—Guy Davies, ABC News, 9 Nov. 2025
And that mountain looms far larger than the piles of cash that CoreWeave has brought in the door so far.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
Add in snow piles that narrow the shoulders, chain controls, and icy roads, and delays are just part of the Tahoe travel experience.
—AFAR Media, 7 Nov. 2025
When firefighters arrived at the scene, multiple cars and piles of rubbish were on fire.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Such was slaughter that blood could be seen in sand next to piles of bodies in satellite images from space, according to the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health.
—Abigail Williams, NBC news, 6 Nov. 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
Of course, the most popular picks among winter sports enthusiasts take them to the nation’s mightiest mountain ranges, with technique-testing terrain, breathtaking views, and piles of powder.
—Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 10 Nov. 2025
His investing strategy has turned on an incessant search for value, with Berkshire Hathaway often sitting on giant piles of cash until just the right deal comes through.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025
The star sparkled in a curve-hugging black sequin Diane von Furstenberg gown, adding a black fur stole and piles of diamond jewelry.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025
Such is the scale of the violence that blood and piles of bodies are visible from space, according to experts at the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab.
—Guy Davies, ABC News, 9 Nov. 2025
And that mountain looms far larger than the piles of cash that CoreWeave has brought in the door so far.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
Add in snow piles that narrow the shoulders, chain controls, and icy roads, and delays are just part of the Tahoe travel experience.
—AFAR Media, 7 Nov. 2025
When firefighters arrived at the scene, multiple cars and piles of rubbish were on fire.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Such was slaughter that blood could be seen in sand next to piles of bodies in satellite images from space, according to the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health.
—Abigail Williams, NBC news, 6 Nov. 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
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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 18 Nov. 2025.
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