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
Aerial footage captured by KTLA News helicopters showed a three-vehicle pileup in the parking lot.
—
Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Three children suffered injuries in a six-car pileup during Monday evening’s rush hour in a high-accident area in Kansas City’s Northland, according to the Missouri Highway Patrol.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 13 May 2025
One person was reported dead after a pileup in Bovina, Texas.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2025
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
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Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Three children suffered injuries in a six-car pileup during Monday evening’s rush hour in a high-accident area in Kansas City’s Northland, according to the Missouri Highway Patrol.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 13 May 2025
One person was reported dead after a pileup in Bovina, Texas.
—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for pileup
Cite this Entry
“Pileup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pileup. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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