build
verb (used with object)
to construct (especially something complex) by assembling and joining parts or materials.
had been building
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past perfect progressiveof build.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
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.
Concerns about AI’s rapid advancements had been building inside model developers for months.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Monday’s losses also wiped out the stock’s year-to-date gains, which had been building as investors hoped that Newsom’s efforts on that liability shift would succeed.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
Tensions in the game had been building for years.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
It looks as if the British farmers who had been building Stonehenge over the preceding centuries all but disappeared – again, for reasons which remain unclear.
From Science Daily ● May 30, 2026
I had tried so hard to bear her loss and had swallowed back the tears that had been building up inside me for two seasons.
From "Missing May" by Cynthia Rylant
