build-out

noun

ˈbild-ˌau̇t 

variants or less commonly buildout

plural build-outs also buildouts

1

a

: work done to make a structure or system ready for use or to bring a construction or development project to a completed state

When the build-out of the campus is complete, as many as 7,500 students will attend class there.

—Janis L. Magin

b

: work done to expand a system (such as a telecommunications system)

The buildout of new infrastructure for digital cellular telephony is at such an early stage that it's impossible to predict what the performance of some of the systems will be.

—Brian C. Fenton

c

: a project or process involving such work

Of course, the Chinese are traveling and spending more in their own country too, in part because of a gigantic infrastructure build-out; China will have constructed more high-speed-rail capacity by the end of the decade than is currently operating in the rest of the world, some 10,000 miles' (16,000 km) worth.

—Bill Saporito

2

: a state in which an area has been fully developed

At build-out, the community is planned to include retail, restaurant and office space, a hotel, urban-style and loft apartments, townhomes, and condominiums.

—The Flower Mound (Texas) Leader

Examples of build-out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Its two towers, or oasts, plus firepits and facade are made from Catawba stone excavated during the brewery’s build-out, while local black walnut wood forms the bar top and wall coverings. —Kate Bernot, Outside, 29 Aug. 2025

Cybercriminal groups are also primarily responsible for the build-out of new, larger and more sophisticated botnets and for the creation of attack services such as booter and stressor services. —Carlos Morales, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025

Indeed, though electricity bills affect everyone, the number of areas where residents are in direct contact with massive infrastructure build-out is growing. —Justin Worland, Time, 27 Aug. 2025

The deal marks the latest major investment by AT&T to accelerate its fiber and 5G network build-out as the wireless market saturates and internet usage surges. —CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for build-out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout