pileup
Americannoun
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a massive collision of several or many moving vehicles.
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an accumulation, as of work, chores, or bills.
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a rough or disorderly falling of people upon one another, as in a football game.
Etymology
Origin of pileup
First recorded in 1825–35; noun use of verb phrase pile up
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And so there has been a pileup of ignominy referred to a busier-than-ever Ethics Committee.
From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026
The California Highway Patrol responded to the vehicle pileup at 7:34 p.m.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026
A Jan. 31 pileup involved 59 cars with 10 people needing hospitalization.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
In my family, birthdays arrive in a cheerful pileup.
From Salon • Feb. 3, 2026
Our boat smashed into the pileup and we were thrown into the air, straight over the gates, over the pool, and down toward solid asphalt.
From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
