lead up to

British  

/ liːd /

verb

1. to act as a preliminary or introduction to

2. to approach (a topic) gradually or cautiously

---

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

“This comes at an interesting time, as we lead up to a major week of central bank meetings.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026

June 2: Interest in the IPO space has skyrocketed in the lead up to the public listing of SpaceX.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

“The bombing of the hospital was more reflective of the times that Stagg and his wife had gone through in the lead up to D-day,” Maras says.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

Young has said he is unhappy that members of Congress haven’t held public hearings in the lead up to the war or since.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Then she lets go of my hand and sinks onto the steps that lead up to Ma’s building.

From "Dragons in a Bag" by Zetta Elliott