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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 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 • Feb. 5, 2026

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

From Salon • Sep. 21, 2025

Others defended her, and expressed discomfort at seeing such a young actress suffer a pile-on.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2025

Poor Matthew suffered a pile-on when it looked as if Johnson hadn’t gotten the votes.

From Slate • Jan. 4, 2025

She canceled her summer tour and her fourth marriage ended in divorce, not to mention the internet pile-on on Bennifer 2.0 that put it out there for public consumption.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2024

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.