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

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Etymology

Origin of buildup

1925–30, noun use of verb phrase build up

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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

However, they do not establish that tau buildup directly causes memory loss or that disrupted waves are the mechanism responsible.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026

Coal miners used to carry a canary, which in case of a buildup of dangerous gases would die first, giving them time to get out.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026

The rapid naval buildup is driven by Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s conviction that a nation’s rise and fall is linked to the oceans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

This buildup suggests that Shanidar A survived the original trauma rather than dying immediately.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 31, 2026

The official cause of Henrietta’s death was terminal uremia: blood poisoning from the buildup of toxins normally flushed out of the body in urine.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

It is one of the largest peacetime naval buildups in modern history.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

Pochettino’s preferred formation uses a three-man back line but he has no one on the roster who can match Richards as the anchor, defensive organizer and playmaker during buildups.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026

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

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

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Related Words

• enlargement
• escalation
• expansion
• growth
• stockpile

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