build
Americanverb (used with object)
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to construct (especially something complex) by assembling and joining parts or materials.
to build a house.
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to establish, increase, or strengthen (often followed byup ).
to build a business;
to build up one's hopes.
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to mold, form, or create.
to build students into skilled professionals.
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a relationship built on trust.
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Games.
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to make (words) from letters.
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to assemble (cards) according to number, suit, etc., as in melding.
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to create (a character in a role-playing game) by choosing a job class and/or a set of attributes, skills, weapons, armor, etc.; spec.
If you want to build a Warlock, choosing Half-Elf for your race will give you more spells and magic resistance.
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verb (used without object)
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to engage in the art, practice, or business of building.
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to form or construct a plan, system of thought, etc. (usually followed by on orupon ).
He built on the philosophies of the past.
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to increase or develop toward a maximum, as of intensity, tempo, or magnitude (often followed byup ).
The drama builds steadily toward a climax.
noun
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the physical structure, especially of a person; physique; figure.
He had a strong build.
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the manner or form of construction.
The house was of modern build.
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Computers.
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a version of a program after compilation, typically an update to an existing version made before the program is released.
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the process of producing a software build.
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a new version or update of data in a database or on a website.
frequent, incremental builds of data.
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(in a video game or tabletop role-playing game) a set of attributes, skills, weapons, armor, and other items chosen by the player that affect the character’s speed, strength, intelligence, etc., which may make the character more effective in some roles and less effective in others.
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Masonry.
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a vertical joint.
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the vertical dimension of a stone laid on its bed.
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verb phrase
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build in / into to build or incorporate as part of something else: an allowance for travel expenses built into the budget.
to build in bookcases between the windows;
an allowance for travel expenses built into the budget.
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build out to expand, construct, or develop: The team used to manually build out its marketing email list, but now it's automatic.
They decided to build out the road network to connect the two towns.
The team used to manually build out its marketing email list, but now it's automatic.
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build up
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to develop or increase.
to build up a bank account.
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to strengthen.
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to prepare in stages.
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to fill in with houses; develop into an urban area.
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to praise or flatter.
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verb
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to make, construct, or form by joining parts or materials
to build a house
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(intr) to be a builder by profession
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(tr) to order the building of
the government builds most of our hospitals
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to base; found
his theory was not built on facts
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(tr) to establish and develop
it took ten years to build a business
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(tr) to make in a particular way or for a particular purpose
the car was not built for speed
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to increase in intensity
the wind was building
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cards
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to add cards to each other to form (a sequence or set)
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(intr) to add to the layout of cards on the table from one's hand
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noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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buildsimple
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buildssimple
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have buildedperfect
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have builtperfect
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has buildedperfect
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has builtperfect
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am buildingprogressive
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are buildingprogressive
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is buildingprogressive
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have been buildingperfect progressive
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has been buildingperfect progressive
Past
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buildedsimple
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builtsimple
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had buildedperfect
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had builtperfect
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was buildingprogressive
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were buildingprogressive
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had been buildingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of build
First recorded before 1150; from Middle English bilden, Old English byldan, derivative of bold, variant of botl “dwelling, house”
Explanation
To build is to construct or make something. When you build a house, you start at the very bottom, with the foundation, and work your way up. You build a birdhouse using scraps of wood, a hammer, and nails, or you can build a career as a poet by writing daily and submitting poems to literary magazines. In both examples, you're constructing something yourself using materials and hard work. Another meaning is to make stronger: "I have to build my endurance if I'm going to finish that marathon." The Old English root of build, byldan, specifically means "build a house," from bold, "house."
Vocabulary lists containing build
"The Giving Tree"
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Make
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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.
"The first chip is incredibly expensive because you have to build a factory first -— an investment that can run into the billions of euros. Once production is up and running, unit costs drop sharply."
From Barron's • Jul. 2, 2026
But they added that these constraints have been offset by job growth in the construction sector as tech companies race to build data centers.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 1, 2026
Burry didn’t elaborate much on the reasons for this short, but the company’s equipment is used to build out data centers and chip-manufacturing hubs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026
By the weekend, heat is forecast to build across France and southern Britain with some locations reaching heatwave threshold temperatures.
From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026
“You need a hammer to pound the stakes. A hatchet, if you need more stakes. Or wood to build a fire.”
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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.
