lead up to

verb3

1. •
   To set in motion; to act as a causal or preparatory event or sequence of events.

   • North not only makes Hoover primary in the FBI's complicity in the cover-up, a fairly common mistake, but also attempts to implicate Hoover in events leading up to the assassination. — 2000
2. •
   To precede in time.

   • Before the event, the players sometimes attempt to integrate certain equipment or shots into their repertoire in events that lead up to the major. — 2009
3. •
   To follow or mark a path toward.

   • A keen sportsman, he had draped half the walls of his palace with tiger skins, while several more skins were laid end to end to lead up to the throne. — 2011