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
The big rig then slammed into the bottleneck, killing five people, injuring a dozen and causing a massive pileup that shuttered all southbound lanes near Parmer Lane for about 12 hours.
—
Bianca Moreno-Paz, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Among the 100 outfits on display are some bombastic, kite-like contraptions, bulbous pileups of fabric donuts, and a Chewbacca-esque cape-cum-sarcophogus.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 25 June 2025
The massive pileup occurred early in the second stage, affecting a total of 23 cars.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Here are tips from a professional for managing the paper clutter and avoiding the paper pileup in the future.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pileup
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.
Bianca Moreno-Paz, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Among the 100 outfits on display are some bombastic, kite-like contraptions, bulbous pileups of fabric donuts, and a Chewbacca-esque cape-cum-sarcophogus.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 25 June 2025
The massive pileup occurred early in the second stage, affecting a total of 23 cars.
—Saajan Jogia, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
Here are tips from a professional for managing the paper clutter and avoiding the paper pileup in the future.
—Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 21 May 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 20 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share