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

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in growing (in)
to gradually increase in the roller coaster built up momentum

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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

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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 Long is in the process of building up to full fitness following his return from Achilles surgery. — Josh Gross, Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026 While the petition is just the latest in an ongoing crusade to tame the streets, tension in the neighborhood is building up, and for good reason. — Anne Kadet, Curbed, 29 May 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 Brown is still building up his pitch count with his transition from the bullpen to the rotation, requiring high efficiency facing Major League Baseball’s best offense to give them that many outs. — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2026 According to Gabrielle Correale, Ground Up’s director of marketing, the shoe firm is responsible for building up each brand’s footwear category. — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 15 May 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. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026 The divisions underscore the West’s challenges in combating China; following decades of building up its supply chains, Beijing now controls 90% of global processing. — Semafor Events, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026 The Nebius data center currently under construction will start at 200 megawatts and will increase to at least 800 megawatts, with the potential of building up to 1200 megawatts over several years. — Ilana Arougheti june 26, Kansas City Star, 26 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
  • As summer arrives, snow begins melting, ice hardens and rocks loosen, increasing the risk of falls and rockfall.
    — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
  • When patients can’t pay, hospitals absorb the costs and pass them onto people with insurance by increasing prices, studies show.
    — Alana Semuels, Time, 1 July 2026
Definition of increasing
Verb
  • Monthly events like their floral arrangement workshop and cocktail classes create a space where people can enjoy an experience while gaining new skills and knowledge.
    — Blair Crosby, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
  • The culinary team regularly meets with Longwood Gardens botanists in the Idea Garden, gaining inspiration from the ingredients grown there.
    — Don Tse, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of gaining
Verb
  • More women are inheriting wealth, accumulating it earlier and making investment decisions independently.
    — Kim Lawton, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • And while the images of crowded fountains and shuttered schools dominate the headlines, the economic damage is already accumulating in ways most employers and policymakers have barely begun to reckon with.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 30 June 2026
Definition of accumulating
Verb
  • The 585-acre neighborhood contains 5 million square feet of office space, including 250,000 square feet of medical offices where John Muir Health has been expanding.
    — George Avalos, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
  • The mission won't just hunt for aliens, but rather explore these habitable planets and their atmospheres, expanding our understanding of other worlds while also being used for a variety of astronomical purposes.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of expanding
Verb
  • And each time another first-time climber reaches the top, the applause rising from the rocks below suggests that, little by little, that community is growing.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 July 2026
  • Practices are seeing rising amputations, and hospitalizations are surging.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 July 2026
Definition of rising
Verb
  • Immigrant communities from soccer-playing nations are gathering for watch parties to support their teams.
    — Dian Zhang, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • Avoid Steering Customers Toward ‘Yes’ A common mistake is to ask steering questions when gathering customer feedback.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of gathering
Verb
  • The financial struggles led to them not being able to pay vendors, which led key brands to stop sending the retailers products to sell, further accelerating its decline.
    — Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 30 June 2026
  • The move comes amid rising demand for local asset servicing, with Saudi Arabia accelerating the development of its capital markets as part of its Vision 2030 agenda.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 30 June 2026
Definition of accelerating
Verb
  • However, due to swelling, Lasko still doesn’t have feeling in his lower half just yet.
    — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • The pair were pushed into the body wherever swelling threatened a patient’s health, or exploration of an inner cavity was warranted.
    — Katherine Ott, The Conversation, 2 July 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 7 Jul. 2026.

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