November 6, 2011 By Angela Boothroyd
To build up to something is to gradually prepare yourself, or someone else, for a particular occasion or event.
Examples of use:
1. The shops are building up to Christmas with festive decorations and music.
2. I built up to running in the London Marathon by running short distances every day.
3. He’s been building up all week to telling his parents he is engaged to be married.
4. I am building up to telling my boss I’m resigning.
5. We are building up to telling our families we are emigrating to Australia.
| infinitive |
build up to |
| present simple |
build up to and builds up to |
| -ing form |
building up to |
| past simple |
built up to |
| past participle |
built up to |
Can you make a sentence with this phrasal verb?
What have you built up to?
Image © Kathleen Tyler Conklin
