1
: something produced by building up
fluid buildup in the lungs
2
: the act or process of building up
built up; building up; builds up
1
: to develop gradually by increments
building up endurance
built up a library
2
: to promote the health, strength, esteem, or reputation of
: to accumulate or develop appreciably
Synonyms
Examples of buildup in a Sentence
Noun
There is a big traffic buildup on the highway.
You should clean the mechanism regularly to prevent buildup of dirt.
Both players were given big buildups before the game.
Verb
static electricity built up on the cat's fur
the roller coaster built up momentum
Recent Examples on the Web
Ricardo Torres, Journal Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2024
The scans can indicate a person’s heart attack risk by measuring the buildup of plaque—cholesterol and other substances—in the heart’s arteries (the higher the score, the greater the risk).
—Maggie O'Neill, Health, 11 Apr. 2024
Scrub problem areas with the paste until the buildup is gone.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
The slow buildup will continue into May, and people can expect to hear them once the adults begin to surface in synchronicity, Althoff said.
—Andy Fies, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2024
Brunettes can get darker or go brassy due to mineral buildup, says Bodt, while the lack of vibrancy is especially obvious on redheads, says Perry.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 2 Apr. 2024
Great Parks of Hamilton County will dredge the buildup of sediment on the bottom of the lake, which has accumulated from 35 years of runoff from surrounding roads and development.
—Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 1 Apr. 2024
The promotional buildup to WrestleMania benefits not only the company, but also localities where the event is being held.
—Michelle Chapman, Quartz, 1 Apr. 2024
Public health experts warn about a buildup of invisible conditions, limiting children’s development and causing early deaths.
—Peter Guest, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024
Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 19 Apr. 2024
This happens when water in front of the tire builds up faster than the vehicle’s weight can push water out of the way.
—Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Apr. 2024
Still, despite being new to the scene, this Canadian brand has quickly built up an excellent reputation and boasts partnerships with more than 60 state-of-the-art software developers.
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024
This strategy was based on a belief that the networks Iran had built up gave it the ability to project power without risking direct entanglement, exacting costs while maintaining a veneer of deniability.
—Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 15 Apr. 2024
And this is now a result that has built up empirically, parallel to the actual work of the government commission.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
In any small, closed breeding pool, harmful genetic mutations can build up over time, damaging animals’ health and reproductive success, and inbreeding exacerbates the problem.
—Emily Anthes Chang W. Lee, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2024
Libraries are a go-to, but there are also options for those who want to own a physical copy to build up their bookshelf.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024
Rice was spilled on the floor next to a bulk rice bin, the floor next to the ice machine had food debris and there was grease build up next to an electrical outlet.
—Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024
Noun
During the buildup and take down, the security measures will not be in effect.
—Ricardo Torres, Journal Sentinel, 12 Apr. 2024
The scans can indicate a person’s heart attack risk by measuring the buildup of plaque—cholesterol and other substances—in the heart’s arteries (the higher the score, the greater the risk).
—Maggie O'Neill, Health, 11 Apr. 2024
Scrub problem areas with the paste until the buildup is gone.
—Maryal Miller Carter, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
The slow buildup will continue into May, and people can expect to hear them once the adults begin to surface in synchronicity, Althoff said.
—Andy Fies, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2024
Brunettes can get darker or go brassy due to mineral buildup, says Bodt, while the lack of vibrancy is especially obvious on redheads, says Perry.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 2 Apr. 2024
Great Parks of Hamilton County will dredge the buildup of sediment on the bottom of the lake, which has accumulated from 35 years of runoff from surrounding roads and development.
—Victoria Moorwood, The Enquirer, 1 Apr. 2024
The promotional buildup to WrestleMania benefits not only the company, but also localities where the event is being held.
—Michelle Chapman, Quartz, 1 Apr. 2024
Public health experts warn about a buildup of invisible conditions, limiting children’s development and causing early deaths.
—Peter Guest, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024
Verb
Redirecting gutter downspouts can help, as can building up the area with a truckload or two of good topsoil.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 19 Apr. 2024
This happens when water in front of the tire builds up faster than the vehicle’s weight can push water out of the way.
—Star-Telegram Bot, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Apr. 2024
Still, despite being new to the scene, this Canadian brand has quickly built up an excellent reputation and boasts partnerships with more than 60 state-of-the-art software developers.
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024
This strategy was based on a belief that the networks Iran had built up gave it the ability to project power without risking direct entanglement, exacting costs while maintaining a veneer of deniability.
—Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 15 Apr. 2024
And this is now a result that has built up empirically, parallel to the actual work of the government commission.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
In any small, closed breeding pool, harmful genetic mutations can build up over time, damaging animals’ health and reproductive success, and inbreeding exacerbates the problem.
—Emily Anthes Chang W. Lee, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2024
Libraries are a go-to, but there are also options for those who want to own a physical copy to build up their bookshelf.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024
Rice was spilled on the floor next to a bulk rice bin, the floor next to the ice machine had food debris and there was grease build up next to an electrical outlet.
—Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'buildup.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near buildup
Cite this Entry
“Buildup.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buildup. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
buildup
noun
build·up
ˈbil-ˌdəp 
1
: something produced by building up
2
: the act or process of building up
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