pileup
noun
pile·up
ˈpī(-ə)l-ˌəp 
1
: a collision involving usually several motor vehicles
2
a
: a jammed tangled mass or pile (as of motor vehicles or people) resulting from collision or accumulation
b
Examples of pileup in a Sentence
A five-car pileup slowed traffic.
a pileup of e-mail messages that needed to be dealt with
Recent Examples on the Web
There’s some droll humor in this pileup of bad decisions and bad behavior — particularly in one running gag that sees Carey doggedly befriending Ashley’s parade of exes, including one hilariously gormless f-boy played by drawling ensemble standout Charlie Gillespie.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 May 2025
One pileup involved nearly 40 vehicles, officials estimate.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2025
The likes of Neva and UFO 50 followed suit, carving a place amongst the likes of the Silent Hill 2 remake and Astro Bot as titles that managed to maintain players and critics’ attention even in a crowded end of year pileup.
—Diego Argüello, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2025
While traveling through Atoka County, Oklahoma, the two women, and a third 16-year-old passenger, were involved in a five-vehicle pileup, according to KTUL.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pileup
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Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 May 2025
One pileup involved nearly 40 vehicles, officials estimate.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2025
The likes of Neva and UFO 50 followed suit, carving a place amongst the likes of the Silent Hill 2 remake and Astro Bot as titles that managed to maintain players and critics’ attention even in a crowded end of year pileup.
—Diego Argüello, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2025
While traveling through Atoka County, Oklahoma, the two women, and a third 16-year-old passenger, were involved in a five-vehicle pileup, according to KTUL.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pileup
Cite this Entry
“Pileup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pileup. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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