1. the act of building up an accumulation (Freq. 3) - I envied his rapid buildup of assets - a military buildup in preparation for the invasion • Derivationally related forms: build up • Hypernyms: accumulation, accrual, accruement • Hyponyms: deposit, deposition 2. the result of the process of accumulation - the buildup of leaves blocked the drain pipes • Hypernyms: accretion, accumulation 3. highly favorable publicity and praise - his letter of recommendation gave her a terrific buildup • Hypernyms: promotion, publicity, promotional material, packaging