pile-on

[pahyl-on, ‐-awn]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pile-on¹

Noun use of verb phrase pile on

Example Sentences

You’ve expressed strong views on how social media shapes political reality, particularly on X. What role do you think this kind of A.I.-based pile-on is meant to play for the people who made it go viral?

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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made no secret of his goal of unleashing trial lawyers on the drug industry, and his recent linking of Tylenol to autism was designed to increase the legal pile-on.

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Other conservative critics have joined the pile-on.

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

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That preceded a difficult hearing for Kennedy in which several Republican senators joined the Democratic pile-on.

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Related Words

• exaggerate 
• overestimate 
• overplay 
• overrate 
• overreach 
• overstate 
• overuse 
• overvalue