noun
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a person who builds, esp one who contracts for and supervises the construction or repair of buildings
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a substance added to a soap or detergent as a filler or abrasive
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of builder
First recorded in 1350–1400, builder is from the Middle English word bildere. See build, -er 1
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.
See Examples For:
U.S. housing construction fell sharply in July as rising mortgage rates are denting builder confidence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
LAWA’s position is that LINXS, as the designer and builder, should have figured out the right code itself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Fresh off closing its $6.8 billion deal for home builder Taylor Morrison, Berkshire Hathaway bought a new, albeit small, stake in D.R.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
A combined Taylor Morrison and Clayton Homes would be the fourth-largest home builder in the U.S. based on the number of closings.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
As a builder, it certainly is easier starting with a piece of flat, cleared land.
From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers
People carrying out home renovations will gain greater protections against "cowboy builders" through a new database of trusted traders and a payment system offering more safeguards, the government has said.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
The government said more than a quarter of people who carried out home improvements in the past 18 months have experienced problems, such as builders disappearing after upfront payments were made.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
As a result, builders pulled back from starter homes and other dwellings typically used for entry-level homeownership and prioritized building units for rent.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
American home builders also are viewed as among the big losers due to the new trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
Whatever the case, Akapana’s builders planned with a sense of drama.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
