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Synonyms

lead up to

British  
/ liːd /

verb

  1. to act as a preliminary or introduction to

  2. to approach (a topic) gradually or cautiously

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The lead up to the visit, however, hasn’t been smooth.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

Evidence in the judge-led inquiry - which is examining the lead up to the attacks and decisions made in the aftermath - started again on Monday following a short break over Easter.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

"What went wrong started off with the lead up to this game," Slot said.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

In the lead up to the Super Bowl, boosters of traditional sportsbooks have been denigrating prediction markets.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

Plush carpeted stairs lead up to the Belle apartments.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.