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
With park visitation expected to increase in the next year, fewer employees could translate to longer lines to get into parks, changes in park hours and more trash pileups at some locations.
—
Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 25 Feb. 2025
With reduced horsepower, races now often involve cars bunched together, leading to more frequent and substantial pileups.
—Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 23 Feb. 2025
The setback was a function of a pileup of factors, as most pullbacks are.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 22 Feb. 2025
In the second Duel, Erik Jones had seemingly beat Cindric to the finish line side-by-side on the final lap as a multi-car pileup broke out behind them.
—Travis Caldwell, CNN, 16 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pileup
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Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 25 Feb. 2025
With reduced horsepower, races now often involve cars bunched together, leading to more frequent and substantial pileups.
—Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 23 Feb. 2025
The setback was a function of a pileup of factors, as most pullbacks are.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 22 Feb. 2025
In the second Duel, Erik Jones had seemingly beat Cindric to the finish line side-by-side on the final lap as a multi-car pileup broke out behind them.
—Travis Caldwell, CNN, 16 Feb. 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 6 Mar. 2025.
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