build on

verb

built on; building on; builds on

transitive verb

: to use as a foundation
building on past experience

Examples of build on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Our mission is to build on these studios’ legacies as homes for the greatest filmmakers and storytellers. — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026 The boutique hotel is built on a love story—where a 19th-century British general fell in love with an Indian princess, who later took her grief and rich colour palette to Saint Tropez. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 While the house is bursting with artwork that would make most museum curators envious, Herman’s home is surprisingly humble, built on a tight budget from prosaic materials. — Marissa Gluck, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 The Shahtoot Dam, which would be built on a tributary of the Kabul River, could provide water for more than 2 million people in the city. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for build on

Word History

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of build on was in 1562

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Cite this Entry

“Build on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/build%20on. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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