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pile up

Meaning in simple English, pronunciation and examples

Pronunciation: US /ˌpaɪl ˈʌp/

pile up means: To increase in number or amount, often because things are not being dealt with.

verb

BUILD UPB2

To increase in number or amount, often because things are not being dealt with.

  • My bills are piling up.
  • Emails piled up while I was away.
  • Do not let unfinished tasks pile up.

Similar words: accumulate, build up, mount up

Common phrases: pile up quickly, pile up debts, pile up again

MAKE HEAPB1

To put things on top of each other, or collect into a heap.

  • Pile up the plates here.
  • Snow piled up against the wall.
  • They piled their coats up on a chair.

How to use it: pile something up somewhere (We piled the boxes up beside the door.)

Similar words: heap up, stack up

Common phrases: pile up books, pile something up, pile up outside

VEHICLE CRASHC1

To crash a vehicle, especially when several vehicles hit one another.

  • Three cars piled up in the fog.
  • Several trucks piled up on the icy road.
  • Vehicles began piling up behind the first crash.

Similar words: crash, collide

Common phrases: pile up here, pile up behind, pile up again

Questions about pile up

What does pile up mean?

To increase in number or amount, often because things are not being dealt with.

What is pile up in other languages?

Türkçe: birikmek · Español: acumularse · Français: s’accumuler · Deutsch: sich ansammeln · Italiano: accumularsi · 日本語: たまる

How do you pronounce pile up?

It is pronounced /ˌpaɪl ˈʌp/.

How do you use pile up in a sentence?

My bills are piling up. Emails piled up while I was away.

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pile up in other languages

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