Piles, as the basic components that support su-perstructures, are inevitably subjected to cyclic lateral loads. The lateral response (deformation and capaci-ty) of a pile under a cyclic lateral load has been well documented. However, little attention has been given to its vertical displacement. In this study, centrifuge model tests were conducted to study the vertical dis-placements of a pile under cyclic lateral loads. It was found that a pile may settle during cyclic lateral loading. Meanwhile, the ultimate settlement of the pile was larger when the vertical load or the amplitude of the horizontal displacement was greater. All the observations can be explained by the loss of mobi-lized shaft friction and the transmission of the un-balanced force to the pile tip.