built up 1 of 2

past tense of build up
1
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

built-up

2 of 2

adjective

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
Verb
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
Adjective
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 After surging to the top of the National League East division, the Phillies built up a considerable lead over the Mets. Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025 For decades, Laney College and Merritt College have built up distinct brands on opposite sides of town, offering their own slices of higher education but often vying for the same students — and even fielding competing basketball teams. Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 23 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for built-up
Verb
  • At low concentrations, adsorption increased gradually, typical of monolayer adsorption, where molecules form a single layer on the surface.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2025
  • While global life expectancy is up, youth and young adult mortality rates increased between 2011 and 2023, according to the report.
    Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • After the team’s 14 rushes gained just 19 yards, there was some belief that maybe the Dolphins couldn’t run the ball.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Backdrop was founded in 2018 by Natalie and her husband Caleb Ebel, and quickly gained a cult following for its selection of paint colors.
    Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The convenience of having this tool today will have a cost at a later date, and most likely it will be accumulated.
    Ernestine Siu, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Kaiser currently holds $64 billion in reserves — much of it accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic, when frontline caregivers sacrificed their health, families, and, in some cases, their lives.
    Aman Kidwai, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Founded in 1980, the company’s work with the federal government expanded significantly after 2018, completing more than $100 million in contracts since 2002, according to GovTribe.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The league then expanded its postseason bonus pool to $500,000 total in 2022.
    Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Instead of tracking individual users, MMM looks at aggregated data—spend, impressions, sales—to show how channels contribute over time.
    Bernard May, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Holland and Marek Epstein’s screenplay breathlessly regurgitates an aggregated fact sheet of Kafka’s life.
    Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Al-Sudani, who rose to power after that upheaval, insisted his government had taken tangible steps to restore public trust, such as economic progress and political stability.
    Emma Graham, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Odinga first rose to prominence as a political activist fighting against the one-party rule of President Daniel arap Moi in the 1980s.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • When his birthday arrived, the entire family gathered for dinner, including relatives from both his mom’s and dad’s sides.
    Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
  • From the evidence gathered on-and-off-scene, investigators determine a probable cause and draft a report.
    Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • This was at least the fourth Ukrainian attack on Russian oil facilities in the last week, continuing a campaign that accelerated over the summer and has led to gasoline shortages in parts of Russia.
    Tim Lister, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
  • The deal accelerated over several crucial moments — Israel’s strike on Qatar, discussions on the sidelines of the recent United Nations General Assembly in New York City and Jared Kushner’s conversations with his father-in-law, these sources said.
    Yamiche Alcindor, NBC news, 10 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Built-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/built-up. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

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