pile on

phrasal verb

piled on; piling on; piles on

US, informal

: to join other people in criticizing something or someone in usually an unfair way

After the first few negative reviews, all the other critics started piling on.

Examples of pile on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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Add shredded lettuce to the bottom piece, then pile on the warm shrimp, tomatoes and pickles. —

Katie Workman, Twin Cities, 3 Feb. 2025 New data released this month by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that BNPL borrowers often pile on debt. —

Kayla Steinberg, NBC News, 27 Jan. 2025 The remains of her mother’s lunch were piled on a tall tray table, which someone had rolled several feet away from her bed. —

Samanta Schweblin, The New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2025 Nearby residents have endured years of negative health impacts, including higher-than-average rates of lung cancer in the surrounding county, polluted air, and environmental degradation — all while thousands of tons of trash is trucked in and piled on to the mountain of garbage each day. —

Ryan Castalia, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for pile on