pile (up) 1 of 2

verb

Definition of pile (up)next
as in to accumulate
to gradually form into a layer, pile, or mass snow piling up in the driveway at a rapid pace

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pileup

2 of 2

noun

ˈpī(-ə)l-ˌəp How to pronounce pileup (audio)
as in accumulation
a mass or quantity that has piled up or that has been gathered over a period of time a pileup of e-mail messages that needed to be dealt with

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pile (up)
Noun
The price hike for any individual item would likely be modest, but the pileup of extra costs across an array of goods could weigh on wallets, analysts previously told ABC News. — Max Zahn, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026 The moves come as 311 has received nearly 3,000 complaints related to dog waste citywide so far this year, including a significant spike after the lengthy, lingering snow pileups this winter. — Jesse Zanger, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 The prank consisted of 50 individuals simultaneously ordering a Waymo on the same dead-end street, creating a pileup that made the company disable rides until the next morning. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026 The California rapper-producer’s new album sifts through an eclectic pileup of influences with X-ray vision, exposing his artistic process and still keeping it breezy. — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for pile (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pile (up)
  1. accumulate
  2. accumulation
  3. gather
  4. collection
  5. pile
  6. jumble
  7. mixture
  8. gathering
Verb
  • Echo chambers, firehoses of information, discerning what’s real and what’s AI-generated, all accumulate to chip away at trust.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The fan guards inside the walk-in cooler had accumulated dust.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of accumulate
Noun
  • Ice accumulation poses a serious threat to aircraft because even a thin layer can disrupt airflow over the wings, reducing lift and making a plane more difficult to control.
    — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Researchers at Washington University found markedly different gut microbiomes in people at the earliest preclinical stages of Alzheimer’s, differences correlated with amyloid and tau accumulation before any cognitive symptoms appeared.
    — Holly Baines, STAT, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of accumulation
Verb
  • In Paris, hundreds of protesters gathered again on Sunday at the Place de la République amid a heavy police presence.
    — SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Hundreds had gathered at the arena for a festival celebrating horse racing and Mexican culture.
    — Philip Wang, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of gather
Noun
  • Trine Dyrholm, Christian Slater, Dree Hemingway are set to star in Jesper Just’s Incidents of Intimacy, the second production in Zentropa’s new collection of Dogma25 pictures.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Kaeding also said the inspiration for the latest collection came from finding pieces in vintage stores and digging through bins.
    — Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of collection
Noun
  • CoreWeave’s vast debt pile has been the subject of controversy in the past.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Relocate Leaf Litter and Wood Piles Leaf litter, wood piles, and other yard debris offer shelter not only to pests but also to beneficial insects and wildlife.
    — Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of pile
Noun
  • Arches and natural bridges sweep like buttresses from jumbles of rock, giving this landscape a mystical, cathedral-like quality.
    — Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.
    — Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of jumble
Noun
  • Today’s recipe Many meatballs are made with a panade, often a mixture of white bread soaked in milk, which lends moisture to the final meatballs.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Add the rice and mix to combine, coating the rice with the green mixture.
    — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of mixture
Noun
  • The camaraderie morphed into friendship, and changed how Truncale approaches such gatherings.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Guimaraes said the art of the physical gathering relies on careful curation and the transformational power of breaking bread together.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of gathering

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piles (up)
pile (up)
pileup
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Cite this Entry

“Pile (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pile%20%28up%29. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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