Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

pile-on

American  
[pahyl-on, ‐-awn] / ˈpaɪlˌɒn, ‐ˌɔn /

noun

  1. the action of followers who join a hostile group in harshly criticizing or judging a less dominant group or individual, sometimes gloating over that group’s or person's defeat or diminished standing (often used attributively): Social media encourages a kind of pile-on mentality that is very unforgiving of mistakes and flaws.

    Long after the merciless baiting ceased to be funny, her critics continued to join the pile-on.

    Social media encourages a kind of pile-on mentality that is very unforgiving of mistakes and flaws.

Etymology

Origin of pile-on

Noun use of verb phrase pile on

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The pile-on proceeded to break comment section containment, spreading into blogs, magazines and network TV talk shows.

From Salon

The risk is a pile-on that would be the mirror image of Bitcoin ETFs’ role in last year’s Bitcoin rally, when the surge of inflows to the new funds helped drive the crypto higher.

From Barron's

The grief quickly gave way to an even more unifying pile-on against Kirk critics.

From Salon

The “high-profile attacks ... serve as dog whistles for a pile-on.”

From Los Angeles Times

Being super hot probably didn’t hurt either, but it was seeing Arenales stand up for our sweet Amaya Papaya against a pile-on from his fellow male islanders that sealed the deal — not just for Espinal, but for the viewers, in particular Latinx ones.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.