1
as in to increase
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
static electricity built up on the cat's fur
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to gain
to gradually increase in
the roller coaster built up momentum
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to accumulate
to gradually form into a layer, pile, or mass
evidence that the toxic chemical builds up in the bloodstream to unhealthy levels
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to expand
to make greater in size, amount, or number
he patiently built up his coin collection over several decades the young stockbroker worked hard to build up a clientele
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in promotion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of build up
Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025
When soil pH is low, nutrients like manganese can build up in garden beds and cause problems for plants.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2025
Rose Gottemoeller, Foreign Affairs, 15 Apr. 2025
The buildup to the NFL Draft is months in the making.
—Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for build up
Verb
The good news is that both e-commerce providers appear to have built up inventories to serve US customers over the next week at existing prices.
—Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025
When soil pH is low, nutrients like manganese can build up in garden beds and cause problems for plants.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
All the while, Beijing has declined to discuss its rapid buildup with Washington.
—Rose Gottemoeller, Foreign Affairs, 15 Apr. 2025
The buildup to the NFL Draft is months in the making.
—Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for build up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for build up
Verb
-
If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be? (1) Infrastructure in forms of roads and increased police and fire due to the growing population.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Apr. 2025
-
What Murray did in the second half was increase his aggression off the dribble.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Spanish-language media giant TelevisaUnivision said its first quarter swung to a profit as the company reduced expenses and saw its streaming business gain traction, even as key areas of revenue experienced declines.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Lisa Vanderpump first gained popularity for her role on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The defender never accumulated more than five sacks in a season at Georgia and often struggled to get around quality offensive tackles.—
Arick Wierson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Apr. 2025
-
The rookies this season accumulated 0.054 win shares per 48 minutes—the ninth lowest of the past 40 seasons, but still significantly above recent seasons such as 2014, 2015 and 2017, as well as the infamously unproductive 2001 cohort.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
For 2024, the list was expanded to 450 companies and looked at their emissions between 2020 and 2022.—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Believed to have originated in 15th-century Italy as a card game used by nobility, the original deck was expanded and popularized by 18th-century French occultists; and again later in the 20th century, when modern tarot was born thanks to the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, published in 1909.—
Michaela Trimble,
Vogue,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
In the past, only non-discounted stays qualified for free dining deals, but next year, guests will be able to couple that benefit with other promotions.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Even before the current wave of promotions, college students had established themselves as AI’s power users.—
Lila Shroff,
The Atlantic,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Iconic sportswear and footwear giant Adidas said Tuesday that the price of all its products will rise in the U.S. due to President Donald Trump's tariffs.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
-
But merely knowing that housing today is less affordable than in 1950 tells us little about why home prices have risen.—
Caleb Petitt,
National Review,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
In a video posted online, Jakes is seen pausing during his hour-long sermon, before shaking suddenly as other church members gathered around him, according to USA TODAY's previous reporting.—
Jonathan Limehouse,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
-
When Ayyub was a child, a group of men gathered every morning for prayer and martial arts in a field down the street from her home.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
This topic has been brewing for a while, and was accelerated by the injury conversation.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Even then—before the rest of the world went AI-crazy—the CEO of Google DeepMind had a stark warning about the accelerating pace of AI progress.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
27 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Build up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/build%20up. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share