lead up to

British  

/ liːd /

verb

1. to act as a preliminary or introduction to

2. to approach (a topic) gradually or cautiously

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lead up to Idioms  

1. Prepare gradually for, result in gradually, as in These events clearly led up to the coup, or His remarks led up to the main point of the speech, that he was going to resign next year. [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

In addition to displaying the spectacular ice-dancing by all during the various Grand Prix competitions that lead up to the Olympics, “Glitter & Gold” provides some genuine insight into the minds and politics behind the sport’s highest level of competition.

From The Wall Street Journal

Videos have emerged showing a scuffle between Border Patrol agents and the man in the lead up to the shooting.

From BBC

We’ve seen this a lot with the lead up to the ICE crackdowns, for example.

From Salon

The British number one has not played since October and no reason was given for her pulling out against Osaka in Perth, in the lead up to the Australian Open, which begins in Melbourne on 18 January.

From BBC

In the lead up to the event, Premier Chris Minns had warned that some people may find the sight "confronting", with police "carrying firearms and weapons that you haven't seen before".

From BBC