BUILD (UP) Synonyms: 195 Similar and Opposite Words

build up 1 of 2

verb

Definition of build up

as in to increase

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

as in to gain

to gradually increase in the roller coaster built up momentum

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to accumulate

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

as in to expand

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

buildup

2 of 2

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 build up

Verb

That's odd given the hype Tesla built up at the Cybercab reveal in 2024. — New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026 More recently, the Yemeni government has built up a rival drone arsenal. — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Noun

Choose something gentle that isn’t petroleum-based, such as Castile soap, to avoid leaving a residue or buildup on your floors, adds Becky Rapinchuk, founder of Clean Mama. — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 2 Sep. 2026 All three will blame their adversaries for making the buildup necessary, but in truth each country will be racing itself, driven by its own fears and internecine politics. — Jeffrey Lewis, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for build up

Recent Examples of Synonyms for build up

Verb

By increasing the carrier density in the neighbouring graphene bilayer, the team progressively weakened the Coulomb interactions between electrons in the magic-angle graphene.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
The cores or plugs removed from the lawn during aeration actually increase the success of overseeding by providing more direct contact between the seeds and the soil.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of increase

Verb

Aflac initially gained a bigger profile after introducing its duck mascot in 1999, in ads crafted by Kaplan Thaler Group, an independent agency that was eventually acquired by Publicis Groupe of France.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
For example, a South Florida cop trying to find a vehicle could search and find a person’s information from thousands of miles away in other states, a selling point that gained Flock dozens of law enforcement contracts, the Herald found.

— Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of gain

Verb

Hassouna and co-editor Denis LePaven pace the chronological patchwork of footage less as a story with a predestined shape, and more as shifting tiles of accumulating losses that the audience can traverse without being too overwhelmed.

— Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
The forces of destruction accumulated through the Second World War.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of accumulate

Verb

The View From Beijing In a departure from business strategies of the past, this current cohort of Chinese companies has a mandate to expand internationally, according to academic Karim Alwadi, based in Beijing.

— Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Opened on New Year’s Day in 1926, the hotel was expanded by famed society architect Maurice Fatio, who managed to maintain intimacy despite imposing a larger footprint.

— Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of expand

Noun

Ahmed Walid Fabio Vieira (Hamburg) Vieira was the creative heart of Hamburg’s survival in the Bundesliga last season, their first back in the top tier after promotion.

— David Ornstein, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
The Central Carolina fair maintains an active Facebook page and regularly posts updates, including promotions and videos of adorable petting zoo animals.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of promotion

Verb

But rising bond yields make safer government debt more attractive relative to stocks, while also reducing the present value investors assign to companies’ future earnings.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
At the same time, waste is still piling up and resale’s environmental footprint is rising.

— Bella Webb, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of rise

Verb

The feeds then went to the pets as the houseguests were set to gather at the dining room table time machine.

— Christopher Kuhagen, jsonline.com, 30 Aug. 2026
King’s eyes gather the world’s hodgepodge, and her hand records with a sensitivity that can come only from fondness.

— Laura Preston, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of gather

Verb

Liu pointed to China’s 2025 Global AI Governance Action Plan, which calls for accelerating construction of clean power, next-generation networks, computing capacity and data centers.

— Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
As a result, fewer researchers seek material that could accelerate innovation, and fewer countries are willing to share it.

— Anna Nelson, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of accelerate

Browse Nearby Words

builds up

build up

buildup

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Style

“Build up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/build%20up. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of build up

verb

noun

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