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
The singer has spent the past 20 years building up one of the most successful music careers of all time, and she only recently got engaged at the age of 35 to fiancé Travis Kelce.
—
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2025
Smoke was building up inside as Balmer deployed the second incendiary device.
—CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
At home to Burnley a few days later, Frank’s side were far more considered in their possession, using goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario as an auxiliary centre-back at times when building up, as Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Sarr formed a more progressive midfield three.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
It’s made with durable resin and has built-in ventilation to keep moisture from building up, so your backyard essentials don’t get moldy.
—Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
During the speech, however, Kemp periodically deviated from building up Astra to hurling insults at several of his competitors in the launch industry.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 25 Sep. 2025
And OpenAI has been building up its own sales function.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2025
The same concern emerges in places like Haiti and Ecuador, as foreign mercenaries and drones are being drafted in at the expense of building up the local armed forces and the national police.
—Alia Brahimi, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Unlike traditional top-down mentoring that focuses on building up younger employees, reciprocal models enable experienced employees to stay relevant in a changing world.
—Britton Bloch, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2025
Smoke was building up inside as Balmer deployed the second incendiary device.
—CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
At home to Burnley a few days later, Frank’s side were far more considered in their possession, using goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario as an auxiliary centre-back at times when building up, as Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Sarr formed a more progressive midfield three.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
It’s made with durable resin and has built-in ventilation to keep moisture from building up, so your backyard essentials don’t get moldy.
—Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
During the speech, however, Kemp periodically deviated from building up Astra to hurling insults at several of his competitors in the launch industry.
—Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 25 Sep. 2025
And OpenAI has been building up its own sales function.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2025
The same concern emerges in places like Haiti and Ecuador, as foreign mercenaries and drones are being drafted in at the expense of building up the local armed forces and the national police.
—Alia Brahimi, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Unlike traditional top-down mentoring that focuses on building up younger employees, reciprocal models enable experienced employees to stay relevant in a changing world.
—Britton Bloch, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for building up
Verb
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The echoes of this feeling resounded clearly three centuries later in the increasing disconnect between suburban mobility and localism.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Districts saw little improvement overall, with the average score increasing by half a percentage point in both subjects.—
Erick Trevino,
AZCentral.com,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Scientists continued the effort, eventually accumulating data from upward of 7,000 healthy individuals.—
Carrie Arnold,
Scientific American,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Outer lanes are more prone to accumulating water.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Oc Register,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Despite months of military build-up, the escalation into a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukrainian territory in February 2022 and the subsequent imposition of sweeping and continuously expanding sanctions came as a major shock to thousands of transnational corporations.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
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Crews expanding a major Lake Norman-area highway cut a gas line Friday, prompting evacuations and closing the busy road for hours, witnesses and town officials said.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Wealthier Americans have been assisted by rising house values, lucrative stock market returns and favorable credit, while lower- and middle-income buyers have faced tighter budgets and been hit hard by rising inflation.—
Michael Wayland,
CNBC,
13 Oct. 2025
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Two luxury condominium towers rising to 412 feet and 453 feet.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Whether the move is about Netflix’s push into ads, gaining a better foothold locally or retaining subscribers — or all three — is yet to be discovered.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
12 Oct. 2025
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Acknowledging the work that has gone into a project, however large or small the efforts, is essential for gaining momentum for the next steps and projects that follow.—
Rebecca Jones,
Southern Living,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Jinga told Sourcing Journal Dexory will place a specific onus on accelerating DexoryView’s development.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Dark energy, which is responsible for the universe’s accelerating expansion, makes up the vast majority.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The country’s declining birthrate means a shrinking workforce saddled with supporting a swelling elderly population.—
Hanako Montgomery,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
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Apply it for 10 minutes to numb the itch and reduce swelling.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
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His right ankle was both dislocated and fractured, the brutal byproduct of Niners safety Ji’Ayir Brown trying to make a tackle on Tampa Bay’s third offensive possession and rolling up into the back of Warner’s legs.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
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These Pathfinder Performance pants set a great example, with snaps that make rolling up the legs a breeze and a stretchy draw cord for dialing in fit.—
Alice Bennett,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Building up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/building%20up. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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