Pile Up

1. To put things in a pile or heap.

Examples: I need to do my laundry before it starts to pile up.
Every Fall, my father chops a lot of wood and piles it up in the basement.

2. When you accumulate more and more of something unpleasant.
[Noun] A traffic accident involving multiple vehicles that hit each other.

Examples: The bills have been piling up ever since Dave lost his job.
The work is really starting to pile up at the firm, so they hired a few temps.
[Noun] The news report said there is a five-car pile up in the left lane on I-5 North, and to avoid that route if possible.

See our complete list of English phrasal verbs.