pile

A group of things placed on top of one another.

• Put the books in a pile.
• She sorted three piles of clothes.
• A pile of leaves blocked the path.

How to use it: a pile of something (There is a pile of clean towels on the chair.)

Similar words: heap, stack

Common phrases: pile of books, pile of clothes, large pile, pile of rubbish

A long, strong post pushed into the ground to support a building or bridge.

• The bridge rests on concrete piles.
• Workers drove a pile deep into the ground.
• The old wooden piles needed replacing.

Common phrases: concrete pile, steel pile, foundation pile

A group of people or things put together because they receive the same judgment during a selection.

• This application belongs in the maybe pile.
• She put the strongest candidates in the yes pile.
• We moved two designs out of the reject pile.

Similar words: group, category

Common phrases: maybe pile, reject pile, yes pile

To put many things together or on top of each other in one place.

• Pile the books on the desk.
• He piled his plate with food.
• They were piling bags beside the door.

How to use it: pile something on something (She piled clean plates on the table.); pile something up (We piled the branches up beside the fence.)

Similar words: heap, stack

Common phrases: pile something up, pile something on, pile something high

If things do this, more and more of them collect in one place.

• Dirty dishes pile up quickly.
• Snow piled up outside the door.
• The work has been piling up all week.

How to use it: pile up (Unpaid bills piled up on his desk.)

Similar words: accumulate, build up

Common phrases: pile up, pile up quickly

To add more things, demands, or problems to what is already there.

• Do not pile more work on me.
• Unexpected costs piled on top of our other problems.
• The coach kept piling on the pressure.

How to use it: pile something on someone/something (They piled extra work on the remaining staff.); pile on top of something (New costs piled on top of our existing debts.)

Similar words: add, heap

Common phrases: pile on pressure, pile on problems, pile on top

If people do this, they enter a small space quickly, usually together.

• Everyone piled into the car.
• The children piled in after their teacher.
• We were piling into the bus when it started raining.

How to use it: pile into something (The children piled into the back seat.); pile in (We opened the door and everyone piled in.)

Similar words: crowd in

Common phrases: pile in, pile into something

If people do this, they leave a small space quickly, usually together.

• The children piled out of the car.
• Everyone piled out when the bus stopped.
• People were piling out of the small room.

How to use it: pile out of something (The passengers piled out of the bus.); pile out (The doors opened and the children piled out.)

Common phrases: pile out, pile out of