buildup

1 of 2

noun

build·​up ˈbild-ˌəp 

1

: something produced by building up

fluid buildup in the lungs

2

: the act or process of building up

build up

2 of 2

verb

built up; building up; builds up

transitive verb

1

: to develop gradually by increments

building up endurance

built up a library

2

: to promote the health, strength, esteem, or reputation of

intransitive verb

: to accumulate or develop appreciably

builder-upper

ˈbil-dər-ˈə-pər 

noun

Synonyms of buildup

Verb

• increase
• rise
• accelerate
• swell
• expand
• climb
• roll up

Examples of buildup in a Sentence

Noun

There is a big traffic buildup on the highway.

You should clean the mechanism regularly to prevent buildup of dirt.

Both players were given big buildups before the game.

Verb

static electricity built up on the cat's fur

the roller coaster built up momentum

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The warewash machine was also not sanitizing, and there was buildup on the blade of the table-top can opener, ice chute in the ice machine, inside the table-top air oven in the sushi area and throughout the microwave in main kitchen. — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026

Glycolic acid joins the mix to slough away dead surface cells, while salicylic acid tackles buildup inside pores. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 21 Oct. 2026

Verb

After a 14-point road win in Game 2, a 97-71 victory was emphatic and Atlanta have built up the kind of momentum that might just be unstoppable. — Don Riddell, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026

Florida won’t get the next SpaceX Starship launch, but with the first of three launch towers on the Space Coast near completion, Elon Musk expects the company to build up the launch rate quickly. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1555, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for buildup

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup
• pickup

Kids Definition

buildup

noun

build·​up ˈbil-ˌdəp 

1

: something produced by building up

2

: the act or process of building up