Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

build on

Idioms  

  1. Also, build upon. Add as an extension; use as a basis or foundation. For example, They decided to build on an addition, or She was building all her hopes on passing the exam. John Locke had this idiom in his treatise on government (1689): “Sovereignty built on ‘property’ . . . comes to nothing.” [Late 1600s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Milton Berg offers plenty of reasons why the stock market continues to build on the bottom it saw a year ago.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

This device ban would build on a cellphone ban that went into effect last year.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

Sandy uplands, hiding beneath every citrus tree, are low-regulation and ready to build on.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

The researchers also released their designs, tutorials and simulation tools publicly so others can build on the work.

From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2026

They rode past a swampy area Harriet said was too wet to build on.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.