pile on

To add a large amount of something.

• She piled on the cheese.
• The manager kept piling on extra work.
• He piled on the pounds during the holidays.

How to use it: pile something on (He piled the sauce on his pasta.)

Similar words: heap on, add

Common phrases: pile on pressure, pile on cheese

To join others in criticizing someone, or add more criticism when they have already received plenty.

• Everyone was piling on him.
• She apologized, but the critics kept piling on.
• Why pile on when he already knows he made a mistake?

How to use it: pile on someone (Commenters piled on the actor after the interview.)

Similar words: attack, criticize

Opposites: defend

Common phrases: pile on someone, pile on criticism

To jump quickly onto someone or something, often with other people.

• The children piled on their dad.
• His teammates piled on him after the winning goal.
• The dog jumped onto the bed, and the children piled on too.

Similar words: jump on

Common phrases: pile on someone, pile on top

To keep scoring against a team that is already losing badly.

• They led by twenty points but kept piling on.
• The home team piled on three more goals.
• With victory secure, the coach told his players to stop piling on.

Similar words: run up the score

Common phrases: pile on points, pile on runs