building up

verb

present participle of build up
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 building up China is building up its military and AI capabilities despite limited access to advanced computer chips. — Josh Boak, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2026 Boone said the final few steps for Judge’s return include building up his workload because he has been sidelined for over three months with a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side. — Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026 Coleman Borthwick is among the 2026 draftees building up at the Peoria Sports Complex. — Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026 Government reshuffle Ahead of the next winter period, Ukraine is strengthening the defense of its energy infrastructure and building up reserves to ensure sufficient supplies of heat and electricity. — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026 The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends babies start right after birth with three to five minutes at a time, building up to more than an hour a day. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026 And because some of these inflation drivers affect multiple sectors, costs are building up throughout the supply chain. — Elizabeth Canales, The Conversation, 16 July 2026 The former second-round pick is suddenly one of the Lakers’ primary summer league players and hopes to use the experience as an important stepping stone, building up his game while also establishing a leadership voice. — Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026 The strength of the onscreen bond between Ryan and Naim is in part due to their actors building up a real friendship before production began. — Arushi Jacob, Variety, 19 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for building up
  1. increasing
  2. gaining
  3. accumulating
  4. expanding
  5. rising
  6. gathering
  7. accelerating
  8. swelling
Verb
  • Beyond domestic challenges, CATL is also scrambling to build more plants in Europe to avoid running afoul of increasing EU protectionism.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2026
  • While the disease remains more common among women over 50, diagnoses among younger women are increasing, prompting cancer specialists to encourage earlier conversations about individual risk.
    — Melissa May, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of increasing
Verb
  • Falcons sticking to Robinson on first down Thus far, the Falcons have had three first-down plays and have run running back Bijan Robinson on each, gaining a total of 22 yards.
    — AJC.com, AJC.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The Panthers wound up out gaining Argyle 552 to 480 in total yards with running back Gabriel Bess picking up 160 yards on 19 carries.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of gaining
Verb
  • The researchers tested approximately 1,300 configurations of the electrical signals used to communicate with the neurons, accumulating more than 4,000 hours of real-time interaction across dozens of biological computing units.
    — Mike McRae October 19, New Atlas, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Archer’s announcement notes that Midnight flew as fast as 131mph during this campaign, accumulating more than 200 flight miles over three days.
    — Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of accumulating
Verb
  • The four countries agreed Monday to continue talks on expanding cooperation among them, particularly about regional peace and security, a statement said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Some brands are expanding their use of advance material and capacity commitments, while delaying final decisions on color, SKU quantities or market allocation.
    — Jessica Binns, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of expanding
Verb
  • Fighting autocracy and inequality The Ford Foundation frames its new plan as its answer to rising autocracy, widening inequality, and fading public trust.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • This was in 2024 and 2025, when the AI craze was in full swing and Claude and ChatGPT adoption was rising.
    — Brian Jenney, IEEE Spectrum, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of rising
Verb
  • Think of your home as a simulated work environment in which everyday chores — like unloading the dishwasher or gathering ingredients for a meal – are a chance to learn.
    — John Gill, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Judging by the steady lunch crowd gathering inside the new La Fetta space on its second day open, maybe another location was the right decision after all.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of gathering
Verb
  • With Russia's accelerating orbital forays, the clock appears to be ticking.
    — Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The Assisi gathering came as the Vatican is accelerating its humanitarian efforts for Ukraine following the entry into effect of a localized cease-fire in the devastated southern Ukrainian city of Oleshky.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of accelerating
Verb
  • City Hall’s budget keeps swelling — as do the taxes needed to support it.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Engineers trying to support swelling AI workloads, video streaming, and cloud services often add thicker cables with more fiber pairs.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of swelling

Browse Nearby Words

buildings
building up
builds
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Cite this Entry

“Building up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/building%20up. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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