buildup

noun build·up \ ˈbild-ˌəp \

Updated on: 16 May 2018

Definition of buildup

1 : something produced by building up

fluid buildup in the lungs

2 : the act or process of building up

See buildup defined for English-language learners

See buildup defined for kids

Examples of buildup in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of buildup from the Web

And yet nothing has worked on the stubborn hard-water stains and soap-scum buildup that makes your glass shower doors look frosted, and not in a nice decorative way.

— jolie kerr, New York Times, "Five Ways to Make Spring Cleaning Easier," 4 May 2018
Officials said there was dust buildup in a machine that caused the explosion.

— sarah brookbank, Cincinnati.com, "Fire reported at Boone County warehouse complex," 3 May 2018
The cause of the explosion was never established but was thought to a spark from machinery or static electricity igniting a buildup of grain dust.

— drew broach, NOLA.com, "Continental Grain elevator explosion film to screen May 24 in Metairie," 1 May 2018
The most common causes are dirt buildup and improper laundering.

— joe jackson, Outside Online, "How to Tell When to Retire That Rain Shell," 30 Apr. 2018
In the study, a research team found that the Almahata Sitta meteorite once belonged to a protoplanet, one of tens of early worlds that experienced impacts and buildups to ultimately create the rocky planets in our solar system.

— doris elin salazar, Scientific American, "Diamonds in Meteorite May Come from a Lost Planet," 18 Apr. 2018
But while a major ground offensive requires troop buildups and civilian evacuations, a missile strike works only with the element of surprise.

— carrie a. lee, Washington Post, "Why has Trump been threatening to attack Syria? (Hint: It’s probably not about Syria.)," 13 Apr. 2018
Elite athletes often use machines that measure the power and lactic acid buildup generated within their muscles to determine the appropriate amount of weight to lift.

— michael yang, Philly.com, "Q&A: How tough is tough enough for strength training?," 10 Apr. 2018
If the initial buildup and expectation opened Moncada’s eyes, so did his early struggles.

— dan wiederer, chicagotribune.com, "After attention-generating debut, Yoan Moncada showing poise in big-league journey," 27 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'buildup.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of buildup

1926

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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build up

verb

Definition of build 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

play \ˈbil-dər-ˈə-pər\ noun

Examples of build up in a Sentence

static electricity built up on the cat's fur
the roller coaster built up momentum

Recent Examples of build up from the Web

Videos posted to Twitter show excavators scooping the soppy, sticky mess from the highway as traffic builds up.

— sean rossman, USA TODAY, "Tons of chocolate spilled onto Polish highway after a truck overturned. Now it's hardening," 9 May 2018
Nonetheless, the firm is focused on the long term and sees the developers who build up crypto platforms as its lodestar.

— jeff john roberts, Fortune, "How to Value Bitcoin and Invest in the Crypto Economy: New Advice from Chris Burniske," 4 May 2018
Many of the works are composed of multiple, fragmentary objects made of plain canvas or lead wrapped around stretchers, which build up to loopy, engaging, figurative abstractions.

— charles desmarais, San Francisco Chronicle, "Charles Desmarais’ art picks for April 29," 4 May 2018
It's dominated by sedimentary rocks that built up gradually, rather than volcanic rocks that provide a precise time marker.

— lizzie wade, Science | AAAS, "Colombian scientists race to study once-forbidden territory before it is lost to development—or new conflict," 26 Apr. 2018
Another possibility is the mineral salts that build up in the soil, especially from city water.

— OregonLive.com, "How to stop peach leaf curl, transplant tomatoes: Ask an Expert," 21 Apr. 2018
At the same time, though, many consumers love to talk about how to find the next, great credit card that can easily build up rewards points.

— susan tompor, Detroit Free Press, "New credit reward cards from Fiat Chrysler, Uber and Starbucks," 20 Apr. 2018
Damming upstream, for example, traps sediments that would otherwise build up the river's delta; this makes the coast more prone to rapid erosion.

— stephanie pappas, Scientific American, "Taming the Mighty Mississippi May Have Caused Bigger Floods," 10 Apr. 2018
In late 1985, the pressure of living the lie was building up inside Tully, causing him to drink and alienate his wife, Pat.

— azcentral, "The ever-ambitious John McCain rises to the U.S. Senate," 2 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'build up.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of build up

1555

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

build up Synonyms

BUILDUP Defined for English Language Learners

buildup

noun

Definition of buildup for English Language Learners

: an increase in something that occurs as time passes
: things that are said to cause people to feel excited about something (such as a future event) or someone (such as a performer)
: a series of things that lead to an important event or occurrence