1
as in increasing
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 growing (in)
to gradually increase in
the roller coaster built up momentum
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in accumulating
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 expanding
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of building up
Helping the club’s cause was Schlittler, who was expectedly restricted to 68 pitches after a spring training back/lat injury prevented him from fully building up.
—
Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
This person suggested that the legislation could become more powerful if combined with local streamer content quotas, building up a more holistic framework that would support commissions from all players.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2026
In the earliest of these changes, a tangled version of a protein called tau starts building up in a tiny region deep in the brain involved in sleep, attention and alertness, called the locus coeruleus.
—Elizabeth Riley, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026
Analysts have observed that Moscow has been building up reserves and its operations are expected to gain tempo as the spring warmth dries the terrain.
—ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
That desire has been building up within Lebanon among very different population groups, including the other political parties.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
As Connecticut has been rolling up budget surpluses since Lamont took office in 2019, some lawmakers say the state needs to release money that has been building up through the years.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 18 Mar. 2026
Thanks to the depth of their pitching staff, the Dodgers can afford to be patient with building up Snell.
—Jack Vita, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Herrick is credited with building up the Academy's library into one of the world's primary film research centers, as well as negotiating the award show's first television contract — and a major step toward financial independence — in 1953.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 13 Mar. 2026
Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
This person suggested that the legislation could become more powerful if combined with local streamer content quotas, building up a more holistic framework that would support commissions from all players.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2026
In the earliest of these changes, a tangled version of a protein called tau starts building up in a tiny region deep in the brain involved in sleep, attention and alertness, called the locus coeruleus.
—Elizabeth Riley, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026
Analysts have observed that Moscow has been building up reserves and its operations are expected to gain tempo as the spring warmth dries the terrain.
—ABC News, 20 Mar. 2026
That desire has been building up within Lebanon among very different population groups, including the other political parties.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
As Connecticut has been rolling up budget surpluses since Lamont took office in 2019, some lawmakers say the state needs to release money that has been building up through the years.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 18 Mar. 2026
Thanks to the depth of their pitching staff, the Dodgers can afford to be patient with building up Snell.
—Jack Vita, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Herrick is credited with building up the Academy's library into one of the world's primary film research centers, as well as negotiating the award show's first television contract — and a major step toward financial independence — in 1953.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for building up
Verb
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The rapid melting is also increasing avalanche activity in unusual places.—
Callie Zanandrie,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Yet an increasing number of endurance athletes are taking on these longer ultramarathons.—
Brad Stulberg,
Outside,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Something else Krasley observed was that the factories didn’t embark on one gigantic, expensive retrofit, but rather took a stepwise approach to accumulating cooling improvements that was easier on their bottom lines.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Many are missing rent payments, can’t support their families and are accumulating expenses that won’t be reimbursed.—
Suzanne Gamboa,
NBC news,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The scandal is now expanding into an international investigation, placing Miami at the center of a complex web of shell companies, offshore transfers and opaque financial flows.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The rollout will start in Charlotte before expanding to Chicago and Milwaukee.—
Chase Jordan
March 27,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tensions are rising nationally as the military operation in Iran continues and ICE officers appear in airports.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Carr acknowledged the rising cost and sometimes inconvenient nature of sports streaming are frustrating fans, arguing the drawbacks ultimately outweigh the benefits.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But ideas to spur Idaho’s stagnant housing stock — namely through deregulation or preemption of local land use — are gaining steam as the session drags on.—
Mark Dee
March 28,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Synthetic embryo models, such as blastoids and gastruloids, which replicate key stages in mammalian embryogenesis in vitro, are slowly gaining traction as viable means of ex-vivo development.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For Fashion for Good, the accounting technique is key to accelerating the adoption of biosynthetic PET derived from renewable feedstocks such as plants, agricultural residues and organic waste.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Such a tool could help experts grapple with the accelerating pace and volume of mathematical research.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Airport conditions have become increasingly unpredictable with swelling crowds seen in major hubs.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Grasses went the opposite way, swelling the endosperm to such an extreme that the embryo looks like an afterthought, a bundle squashed into one end of the seed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
As Connecticut has been rolling up budget surpluses since Lamont took office in 2019, some lawmakers say the state needs to release money that has been building up through the years.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Small tour operators within each port are rolling up their sleeves to accommodate the increasing number of international arrivals (in 2024 visitors to Greenland hit an all-time high of 150,000, nearly triple the nation's population) by creating new land excursions and in-town experiences.—
Megan Spurrell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Building up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/building%20up. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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