v.

1. enlarge, develop, or increase by degrees or in stages
   
   • build up your savings
2. form or accumulate steadily;
   work up, build, progress
   
   • Resistance to the manager's plan built up quickly
   • Pressure is building up at the Indian-Pakistani border
3. prepare oneself for a military confrontation;
   arm, fortify, gird
   
   • The U.S. is girding for a conflict in the Middle East
   • troops are building up on the Iraqi border
4. bolster or strengthen;
   work up, build, ramp up
   
   • We worked up courage
   • build up confidence
   • ramp up security in the airports
5. change the use of and make available or usable;
   develop
   
   • develop land
   • The country developed its natural resources
   • The remote areas of the country were gradually built up