led up; leading up; leads up
Examples of lead-up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 6 Mar. 2026
If March 11 is the start of the new league year, the combine is the New Year’s Eve lead-up.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
Josh Gross, Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
The Heat never looked back, extending its lead up to 29 points while leading by double digits for the entire second half.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
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Noun
But the lead-up to said night—arguably the most important in Hollywood—is a whole thing.
—Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 6 Mar. 2026
If March 11 is the start of the new league year, the combine is the New Year’s Eve lead-up.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
Events leading up to the Los Angeles Football Club’s participation during last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup began with a protest by the winningest team in Costa Rican soccer, Liga Deportiva Alajuelense.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
The Heat never looked back, extending its lead up to 29 points while leading by double digits for the entire second half.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lead-up
Cite this Entry
“Lead-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lead-up. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lead up
verb
: to make a gradual approach to a topic
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