The term 'PLACED IN PILES' can be summarized by the crossword solution 'SORTED, ' which is a 6-letter word. Sorting is a process of organizing items into specific categories or groups, often by placing them in piles. This process is used in many different contexts, such as organizing documents, sorting laundry, or arranging objects in a store. Sorting is also used in computer science, where it is an algorithm for rearranging elements in a certain order.