as in to accumulate
to gradually form into a layer, pile, or mass
snow piling up in the driveway at a rapid pace
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of pile (up)
Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
In 2023, a dog caused a pileup after running onto the road, forcing several cyclists to slam on the brakes in rainy conditions.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 12 May 2025
Americans saw pileups at the ports and shortages of some goods, all of which ultimately contributed to higher prices.
—Ana Swanson, New York Times, 1 May 2025
This pileup of unsold inventory is reflected in the current mismatch between sellers and buyers, with the first outnumbering the latter by nearly 500,000, the real estate brokerage found.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pile (up)
Noun
That storm caused an 84-car pileup and led to fatalities.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
In 2023, a dog caused a pileup after running onto the road, forcing several cyclists to slam on the brakes in rainy conditions.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 12 May 2025
Americans saw pileups at the ports and shortages of some goods, all of which ultimately contributed to higher prices.
—Ana Swanson, New York Times, 1 May 2025
This pileup of unsold inventory is reflected in the current mismatch between sellers and buyers, with the first outnumbering the latter by nearly 500,000, the real estate brokerage found.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pile (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pile (up)
Verb
-
In France, Gauguin had accumulated a small band of acolytes devoted to his iconoclastic paintings saturated with color and symbolism.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
11 July 2025
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However, a caveat: Without citizen oversight and proactivity, the trash will accumulate, the trees will grow and the potholes will reappear.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
But without a catalyst such as activist interest, M&A potential, or insider accumulation, the market has little reason to reprice the risk.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
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The Lions will need to find a way to cope with the absence of goalkeeper Pedro Gallese and captain Robin Jansson after both received yellow cards against Charlotte and are suspended due to yellow-card accumulation.—
Kyle Foley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 July 2025
Noun
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Two years later, the first era of the band began as a quartet, bringing with it a collection of electric blues.—
Thania Garcia,
Variety,
15 July 2025
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Now, Scherzinger, Payne, and Destiny's Child star Kelly Rowland are using their expertise to mentor a new collection of vocal groups on Building the Band.—
Emlyn Travis Published,
EW.com,
15 July 2025
Verb
-
In New York, Tyler, the Creator gathered with a group of young artists for a raw, roundtable discussion about the highs and lows of life in the creative lane.—
Bryanna Symone,
Essence,
10 July 2025
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The ring itself is sleek, lightweight, and powered by internal sensors that seamlessly gather data from your finger throughout the day and night.—
Annita Katee,
Travel + Leisure,
9 July 2025
Noun
-
Clean up piles of footwear scattered across the floor and stay organized with a shoe storage cabinet.—
Ali Faccenda,
People.com,
2 July 2025
-
The Wall Street Journal wrote about how the robots are getting flipped over, stuck in snow piles and some students have been found to sit on them, or trip over them, when drinking.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 July 2025
Noun
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In jumbles of old stones that, to me, are barely legible as the remains of buildings, Cocon López could see the entire timeline of old Aké and how later people interacted with and repurposed what came before.—
Lizzie Wade,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 May 2025
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Instead, voters themselves are jumbles of competing and sometimes contradictory interests.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Within the hearts and faces of the Class of 2025 is a mixture of anticipation and apprehension — on the edge of a world that is, by turns, irreverent and weary, defiant and desperate for something more.—
F. Willis Johnson,
Twin Cities,
10 July 2025
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Note: if the mixture thickens more than desired over time, add a little water or beef broth.—
Robin Miller,
AZCentral.com,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pile (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pile%20%28up%29. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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