preparare il terreno

Literally, “to prepare the terrain”. Compare French préparer le terrain.

preparàre il terreno (first-person singular present prepàro il terreno, first-person singular past historic preparài il terreno, past participle preparàto il terreno, auxiliary avére)

1. (idiomatic) to lay the groundwork; to prepare the ground
   • 2020, Barack Obama, chapter 7, in Chicca Galli, Paolo Lucca, Giuseppe Maugeri, transl., Una terra promessa [A Promised Land], Garzanti Libri:

     Il senatore John McCain stava per portarsi a casa la nomination dei repubblicani, e altri due o tre mesi di primarie democratiche all'arma bianca gli avrebbero concesso un grosso vantaggio per preparare il terreno in vista delle elezioni generali di novembre.

     Senator John McCain would soon wrap up the Republican nomination, and another two or three months of bitter Democratic primary contests would give him a big head start on laying the groundwork for November's general election.

     (literally, “Senator John McCain was about to take home the Republican nomination, and another two or three months of bayonet-fighting Democratic primaries would have given him a big advantage to lay the groundwork in view of the November general election.”)