/ Thesaurus / L Synonyms of lead up Find synonyms for: Verb1. lead up, initiate, originate, initiate, startusage: set in motion, start an event or prepare the way for; "Hitler's attack on Poland led up to World War II"WordNet 3.0 Copyright © 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. Related Content Daily Word Quiz: tenacious Analogy of the Day: Today’s Analogy Spelling Bee: Today’s Spelling Bee Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language