1. What does it mean?
빌드업 borrows 'build-up.' Beyond sport, it describes gradually laying groundwork for a joke, a request, a reveal, or a dramatic moment.
Also written or said as bildeueop
2. The nuance
It is about the process leading somewhere, not necessarily the final result. 그 얘기 하려고 빌드업했어? playfully asks whether the earlier conversation was setting up this point.
3. Examples
“앞부분의 작은 농담들이 마지막 반전을 위한 빌드업이었네.”
The little jokes at the start were setting up the final twist.
“부탁하기 전에 칭찬부터 한 건 빌드업이었어?”
Were the compliments before your request just setting it up?
Sources
References support the meaning and usage. Example sentences are written for NoCapWiki.