buildup

American  

[bild-uhp] / ˈbɪldˌʌp /

Or build-up

noun

• buildups
  plural

1. a building up, as of military forces; increase in amount or number.

2. a process of growth; strengthening; development.

   the buildup of heavy industry.

3. an accumulation, as of a particular type of material.

   a buildup of salt deposits.

4. an increase, as in potential, intensity, or pressure.

   A buildup of suspense began halfway through the movie.

5. a progressive or sequential development.

   the buildup of helium atoms from hydrogen.

6. praise or publicity designed to enhance a reputation or popularize someone or something.

   The studio spent $100,000 on the new star's buildup.

7. a process of preparation designed to make possible the achievement of an ultimate objective.

   a lengthy buildup to a sales pitch.

8. encouragement; a psychological lift.

   Every time I need a buildup, I look at her picture.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• buildups
  plural

Etymology

Origin of buildup

1925–30, noun use of verb phrase build up

Explanation

The slow growth or increase of something is a buildup. Over the course of a winter storm, there will be a buildup of snow on the car that's parked in your driveway. The process of something collecting or growing is a buildup, and so is its result. As you buy more and more things with a credit card, you'll see a buildup of debt. And If you venture into your uncle's spooky attic where no one's dared to go for years, there's bound to be a buildup of dust on every surface. Buildup has also come to mean "increasing excitement, preparation, or publicity," like the buildup before Christmas at the mall.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

buildup buildups

“They need to know what we expect from them and how we want to create that dynamic and the buildup in that next four years.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026

The cause was likely a hydrogen leak near the airship’s tail, ignited when a buildup of static electricity generated a powerful spark.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

My friend Tamia Boyd said she didn’t know that mild tartar buildup on the teeth of her 11-year-old Maltese-Yorkie-poodle mix, Piper, counted as a pre-existing condition.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

The quick, relatively inexpensive CT test measures calcium buildup in the arteries that supply blood to the heart.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026

That buildup began with the rise of agriculture starting about 10,000 years ago and then accelerated with the rise of cities starting several thousand years ago.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Without global hegemonic ambitions, these countries are less likely to pursue costly military buildups.

From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 2026

“While we aren’t yet seeing massive on-chain buildups, whales at least appear to have ceased distribution and shifted toward gradual accumulation,” Hasn told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 2, 2026

Staffers routinely rely on satellite data to track down pressure buildups.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 26, 2025

These conditions are driven by harmful buildups in the brain made of misfolded amyloid proteins.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 27, 2025

And the best way to send this message was by massive and ongoing buildups of their stockpiles of nuclear weapons.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

Related Words

• enlargement
• escalation
• expansion
• growth
• stockpile