lead up to

phrasal verb

led up to; leading up to; leads up to
1
: to occur in the time that comes before (something)
Many voters were still undecided in the days leading up to the election.
2
: to come before and help to cause (something)
There was a series of errors leading up to the accident.
3
: to come before and help to introduce (something)
a chapter leading up to the main topic of the book
I had no idea what he was leading up to when he started talking about his father.

Dictionary Entries Near lead up to

Cite this Entry

“Lead up to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lead%20up%20to. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on lead up to

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!