pile driver

noun

plural pile drivers
1
a
: a machine for driving piles (see pile entry 1 sense 1) into the ground
b
: a person who operates a pile driver
2
usually piledriver or pile-driver plural piledrivers or pile-drivers, British, informal : a forceful hit or kick (as of a ball)
hit a pile-driver into the net from 20 yards out
3
usually piledriver or less commonly pile-driver : a wrestling move in which a wrestler seizes an opponent and drops to the floor driving the opponent headfirst into the mat
The turning point of the match took place when Garcia executed a picturesque piledriver on Casanova. Justin Barrasso
piledrive verb, transitive + intransitive
or pile drive or less commonly pile-drive
pile-drived or pile-drove ˈpī(-ə)l-ˌdrōv How to pronounce pile driver (audio) also pile drove or piledrived or piledrove or pile drived; pile-driven ˈpī(-ə)l-ˌdri-vən How to pronounce pile driver (audio) or pile driven also piledriven; pile-driving also pile driving or piledriving; piledrives also pile drives or pile-drives
piledrive an opponent
Skinner started his career pile driving back in 1979 … Surrey (British Columbia) Now-Leader
(figurative) pile-drived the competition

Examples of pile driver in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The match eventually came to an end when Owens tried to hit the package pile driver again, only for Rhodes to turn it into an Alabama Slam onto a ladder, breaking the ladder in the process. David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025 The sounds of construction — the slow beeps of a truck in reverse, a pile driver pounding the hard earth — filled the air. Megan Kimble, New York Times, 31 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1744, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of pile driver was in 1744

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pile driver.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pile%20driver. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

pile driver

noun
: a machine for hammering piles into place

More from Merriam-Webster on pile driver

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