build upon vs depend on

build upon and depend on both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
build upon	No	No	Yes	No
depend on	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, depend on is a hypernym of build upon; that is, depend on is a word with a broader meaning than build upon:

Other hypernyms of build upon include depend upon, devolve on, hinge on, hinge upon, ride, turn on.

build upon (verb)	depend on (verb)
use as a basis for theories and claims	be contingent on
	be dependent on, as for support or maintenance
	put trust in with confidence