lead-up

1 of 2

noun

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

lead up

2 of 2

verb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
And around the county, voters will narrow down their fields of candidates for Congress and the state Legislature — in a lead-up to November midterm general elections that could decide which party controls Congress. Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026 The couple, who married in an intimate ceremony in 2010 and have two children, rarely talk about their relationship as a couple, but on this occasion, the star of The Good Patron made an exception in an interview with Variety in the lead-up to to the Cannes Film Festival. Nuria Hernández, Vanity Fair, 7 May 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 See All Example Sentences for lead-up

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1942, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1861, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lead-up was in 1861

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lead-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lead-up. Accessed 8 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

lead up

verb
: to make a gradual approach to a topic
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