build
verb (used with object)
to construct (especially something complex) by assembling and joining parts or materials.
have been building
-
present perfect progressiveof build.present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
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.
Housing expert Shane Phillips at UCLA’s Lewis Center for Regional Policy studies said people from L.A. are also moving to Southern states such as Florida, Georgia and North Carolina, which have been building more housing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Big talent agencies like WME, whose parent company sold the sports agency 160over90 to Publicis this year, have been building up their rosters of the youngest talent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Activists have been building maps alerting people where the cameras are.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
Speculators have been building up bullish dollar bets in the futures market for weeks — long before President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he believed an interim deal to end hostilities with Iran was “over.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026
We talked about how the little coral animals might have been building the foundations of the cay for thousands of years.
From "The Cay" by Theodore Taylor
