1
general::
collect
to get things of the same type from different places and bring them together:
• She collects stamps (= as a hobby ) . • They have collected 650 signatures for their petition.
gather
to collect information from different places, or to collect crops, flowers, wood etc, especially from the ground:
• Computers make it easier to gather information. • The men gathered firewood.
assemble
formal to collect something such as information in an organized way:
• When all the evidence is assembled, we will write our report.
build up
to gradually collect more things of the same type over time:
• He has built up one of the country’s finest collections of art.
accumulate
to gradually get more and more of something such as money, possessions, or knowledge, over time. Accumulate is more formal than build up:
• He is driven by the desire to accumulate wealth.
amass
to collect a large amount of something such as money, information, or knowledge, over time:
• Carnegie amassed a fortune in the steel industry.
run up a bill/debt/loss
informal to allow a debt to increase quickly, especially by spending too much:
• He ran up huge gambling debts.
Longman-Thesaurus