pile-on
[ pahyl-on, ‐awn ]
/ ˈpaɪlˌɒn, ‐ˌɔn /
noun
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): 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.
Origin of pile-on
Noun use of verb phrase
pile on
Words nearby pile-on
pile driver,
pile into,
pile shoe,
pile up,
pile-driver,
pile-on,
pilea,
pileate,
pileated,
pileated woodpecker,
piled
Example sentences from the Web for pile-on
And yet the social media pile-on against Champion was swift.
Is This The Most Hated Man in Books?: Twitter vs. Edward Champion |Brandy Zadrozny |September 26, 2014 |DAILY BEASTThe media pile-on will change the way voters look at the debate, as happened after Gore's eye-rolling performance in 2000.
Why President Obama, Despite Scoring Points, Fell Flat in the Denver Debate |Howard Kurtz |October 4, 2012 |DAILY BEASTThe pile-on against this 17-year-old boy is pretty ugly, but I suppose unsurprising.
The risk in the pile-on is that a real doozie will get missed, lost in the daily torrent.