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]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

build on

"We learned that parental behaviors build on the neural circuitry for feeding, and that makes some sense," Kronauer says.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026

Despite being three over for the day through five holes, she sank five birdies to shoot two under par and build on her opening-round score of 66.

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

Now, the 34-year-old utilityman is grateful to be back and eager to build on his four-for-four start over two games.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

“The key question is at what price level pressure begins to build on the Trump administration to return to the negotiating table,” analysts at ING said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

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

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

Related Words

• believe in
• bet on
• count on
• lean on
• look to
• rely on