work (yourself) up to sth
— phrasal verb with work uk/wɜːk/us/wɝːk/verb
to gradually prepare yourself for something difficult:
He's very shy, but he's slowly working (his way/himself) up to letting her know what he feels about her.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Preparing
- batten
- batten down the hatches idiom
- break sb in
- build-up
- calibrate
- draw
- forewarn
- gear
- gird
- gird yourself idiom
- groundwork
- homework
- lay the basis/foundations for sth idiom
- preparation
- roll
- set the scene/stage idiom
- steel
- suit
- suit up
- work your way around to sth idiom
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