stockpile

1 of 2

noun

stock·​pile ˈstäk-ˌpī(-ə)l How to pronounce stockpile (audio)
: a storage pile: such as
a
: a reserve supply of something essential accumulated within a country for use during a shortage
b
: a gradually accumulated reserve of something
avert stockpiles of unsold carsBert Pierce

stockpile

2 of 2

verb

stockpiled; stockpiling; stockpiles

transitive verb

1
: to place or store in or on a stockpile
2
: to accumulate a stockpile of
a country suspected of stockpiling weapons
stockpiler noun

Examples of stockpile in a Sentence

Noun a stockpile of medical supplies an emergency stockpile of potable water and canned goods in the cellar Verb The government stockpiled vaccines to prepare for a flu epidemic. we should be able to stockpile enough vaccine for the upcoming flu season
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
An invading army has seized Europe’s largest nuclear plant, taken thousands of its employees hostage, and turned the grounds—home to a large stockpile of nuclear fuel—into a forward operating base in the middle of an active war zone. Simon Shuster, Time, 23 Oct. 2025 Plutonium will be converted into nuclear fuel The report highlighted that the department has allowed domestic nuclear energy companies to request up to 19 metric tons of plutonium from Cold War-era stockpiles. Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
The Rams shore up a vulnerable position for their playoff push, while the Titans continue stockpiling draft capital for a future rebuild. Evan Dammarell, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025 The 2008 premiere of the show, which follows a terminally ill teacher (Bryan Cranston) who cooks meth to stockpile money for his family, failed to generate the same buzz as AMC’s flagship original, Mad Men. Judy Berman, Time, 27 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stockpile

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1872, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1921, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stockpile was in 1872

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Cite this Entry

“Stockpile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stockpile. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

stockpile

noun
stock·​pile
ˈstäk-ˌpīl
: an extra supply especially of something necessary accumulated within a country for use during a shortage
stockpile verb

More from Merriam-Webster on stockpile

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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