Collocations for pile - noun
ADJ.
big, great, high, huge, large, massive, vast | thick | little, small, tiny | neat, tidy | untidy
VERB + PILE
place sth in/into/on, put sth in/into/on
I put the letter in the envelope and placed it on the pile. | I''ve put the books into three separate piles.
I put the letter in the envelope and placed it on the pile. | I''ve put the books into three separate piles.
dump
He dumped a pile of dirty clothes onto the floor.
He dumped a pile of dirty clothes onto the floor.
add sth to
Just add that application to the pile.
Just add that application to the pile.
flick through, leaf through, look through, riffle through, shuffle through, sort through
I leafed through the pile of documents until I found the one I wanted.
I leafed through the pile of documents until I found the one I wanted.
PREP.
amid a/the ~
The money lay amid a pile of unopened letters.
The money lay amid a pile of unopened letters.
behind a/the ~
He was busy behind a pile of papers on his desk.
He was busy behind a pile of papers on his desk.
beneath/under a/the ~
I pulled my diary from beneath a pile of files.
I pulled my diary from beneath a pile of files.
in a/the ~
The washing is in a pile on the floor.
The washing is in a pile on the floor.
on a/the ~
She closed the magazine and threw it back on the pile.
She closed the magazine and threw it back on the pile.
~ of
a pile of books I''ve got piles of work to do.
a pile of books I''ve got piles of work to do.
PHRASES
be reduced to a pile of sth
The house was reduced to a pile of rubble.
The house was reduced to a pile of rubble.
the bottom/top of the pile
(figurative) The government is doing little to help those on the bottom of the social pile.
(figurative) The government is doing little to help those on the bottom of the social pile.
sort sth into piles
I sorted the clothes into two piles.
I sorted the clothes into two piles.