built-up 1 of 2

Definition of built-upnext

built up

2 of 2

verb

past tense of build up
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2
3
as in accumulated
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

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 built-up
Adjective
The Caribbean-facing region of Quintana Roo has some of Mexico's busiest and most built-up beachfronts, but visitors looking for a more serene escape will love still-secret destinations like Mahahual. Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025 While the Classic looks a little more built-up, and has what may be a larger, physical rotating bezel, both watches have what’s known in some circles as a squircle design. Andrew Williams, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025 The area was densely built-up before the war and the enormous scale of damage means there are now huge mountains of rubble and debris everywhere. Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 31 Jan. 2025 The home’s outer structure has a flat roof frame, composed of built-up. Bay Area Home Report, The Mercury News, 2 Aug. 2024 That group could factor into the team’s Game 2 plan, as well, following the Dodgers’ most built-up starting pitcher in breakout rookie Bobby Miller. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2023
Verb
The researchers noted that both ⍺-synuclein and tau built up inside neurons, particularly in synapses where communication happens. New Atlas, 8 Nov. 2025 The amounts of prejudice that are built up in those Kingdom Halls, unbelievable. Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025 The tussle over rare earths precedes the current administration; China for years has built up near-total control of the minerals as part of its wider industrial policy. Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025 Still betting on this legacy, which has been built up so well in the past. John Hopewell, Variety, 20 Sep. 2025 With a small, experienced team, Times Real Estate has built up a portfolio that boasts properties sold in some of the county’s most exclusive neighborhoods. Liz Ohanesian, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025 The lipids used to make fats and the cell membrane are built up two carbons at a time. ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025 It was just really built up energy. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025 Manager Craig Counsell expects Soroka to be built up to multi-inning usage before he’s activated. Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for built-up
Adjective
  • The alleged success of Housing First does not come from aggregated homelessness data, but from case studies of different homelessness programs.
    Christopher Calton, Oc Register, 4 Dec. 2025
  • Haunting and wonderful images coalesce then dissipate, or recur without a sense of aggregated force.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The Wolverines increased their lead to 42 with less than a minute left in the fourth.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Jan. 2026
  • And while famine has not yet emerged, food insecurity has increased, with most Cubans eating a limited diet and skipping meals.
    Joseph J. Gonzalez, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The Hurricanes are a plus-3 in the playoffs (five gained, two lost) and plus-12 on the season (25 gained, 13 lost), while Ole Miss is plus-2 in playoffs (four gained, two lost) and even on the season (14 gained, 14 lost).
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Thus, over time, Williams gained appreciation for Johnson’s motives, for his communication style, most of all for his consistency.
    Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Roughly 20 members of Congress and their staff, Democrats and Republicans, accumulated in our office.
    Zach Fisch, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
  • Even with only one day, however, Fisk and his team were able to take away everything that had accumulated in the bowling alley over the last 50 years and restore it to its vintage look.
    Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • One Beijing site, which expanded by nearly 50% since 2020, is involved in the production of the vaunted DF-26 medium-range ballistic missile, according to the China Aerospace Studies Institute.
    Tamara Qiblawi, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Since then, Butterfly World expanded to include two aviaries for tropical birds and an interactive lorikeet encounter area.
    Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Rizzi even rose to associate head coach for two years prior to leaving the Dolphins after the 2018 season.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Additionally, the December survey showed that respondents’ expectations of losing their job rose to the highest mean probability since April 2025, while the probability of those voluntarily quitting dropped to the lowest rate since July 2023.
    Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The attendees—thirty- and forty-somethings who are members of the bank’s Private Wealth Management (PWM) division, which boasts an average account size of over $75 million—gathered to hash out their anxiety and excitement.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2025
  • About 200 protesters gathered near a park near Aston Villa Park’s Trinity Road stand.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • This trend accelerated in December as the flag state emerged as a critical shield against drone strikes and vessel seizures.
    Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 7 Jan. 2026
  • America’s top campuses remain crowded with wealth, but some universities have accelerated efforts to reach a wider swath of the country, recruiting more in urban and rural areas and offering free tuition for students whose families are not among the highest earners.
    Collin Binkley, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Built-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/built-up. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.

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