lead-up

1 of 2

noun

ˈlēd-ˌəp 

: something that leads up to or prepares the way for something else

lead up

2 of 2

verb

ˈlēd- 

led up; leading up; leads up

intransitive verb

1

: to prepare the way

2

: to make a gradual or indirect approach to a topic

Examples of lead-up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

That week, nobody talked about anything but the lead-up to the big challenge in which Bukele and La Choly would see who could withstand the jolts of that bumpy musical fairground ride, which tries to shake off its passengers. —Óscar Martínez, The Dial, 30 Apr. 2026

The suspect in the weekend shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner has agreed to remain detained in the lead-up to his trial. —Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026

Verb

But leading up to The Devil Wears Prada 2 (now in theaters), production designer Jess Gonchor knew the set pieces seen in the iconic 2006 blockbuster needed an aesthetic facelift—from the Runway magazine offices to our heroine’s apartment to the climactic overseas hot spot. —Mara Reinstein, Architectural Digest, 1 May 2026

Moran reportedly spent the settlement money quickly and experienced severe financial hardship in the years leading up to her death in April 2017 at the age of 56 due to complications of stage 4 throat cancer. —Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1942, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1861, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for lead-up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

lead up

verb

(ˈ)lēd-ˈəp 

: to make a gradual approach to a topic