pile-ups

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A crash involving several vehicles that hit each other one after another.

   Grammar: Countable; use 'a pile-up' for one, 'pile-ups' for more than one.

   Patterns

   • a pile-up on something
   • involved in a pile-up

   Fog caused a serious pile-up on the highway this morning.

   Three people were injured in a pile-up involving five cars.

   The police closed the road after a pile-up near the exit.

2. 2nouncountablefigurative

   A situation where a lot of things happen or accumulate at the same time, often causing problems.

   Grammar: Often used figuratively for a series of problems or tasks.

   Patterns

   • a pile-up of something
   • a pile-up of work

   I'm facing a pile-up of deadlines this week.

   The office had a pile-up of complaints after the sale.

Word forms

Common combinations

a massive pile-up

A massive pile-up blocked all lanes of the motorway.

a multi-car pile-up

The news reported a multi-car pile-up during rush hour.

cause a pile-up

Ice on the road caused a pile-up yesterday.

a pile-up on the freeway

There was a pile-up on the freeway that delayed everyone.

Synonyms and how they differ

crash

A general word for any accident involving vehicles; 'pile-up' specifically means multiple vehicles hitting each other.

collision

More formal and often used for two vehicles; 'pile-up' implies a chain reaction with several vehicles.

accident

A broader term that can include any unfortunate event; 'pile-up' is only for vehicle crashes.

Word family

pile up phrasal verb

To accumulate or form a pile.

Commonly confused: pile-ups or pileup?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “pile-ups”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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