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

So, pitchers across MLB will have the unenviable task of planning their offseason buildup without the clarity of an opening-day target. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 13 Nov. 2026

This stage of the flight creates a violent wave of compression and a buildup of plasma that can drivetemperatures outside the spacecraft to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2026

Verb

Many of those ideas revolved around modernizing the business and zeroing in on marketing opportunities to build up its name, drawing on his career in broadcasting. — S. Sorrina Beecher, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2026

Frasers, which owns Sports Direct, Flannels and Frasers stores, often builds up large stakes in its suppliers and tries to shake up management and supervisory boards in order to get the best possible trading terms for its stores. — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 12 Nov. 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