headway

noun

head·​way ˈhed-ˌwā 

1

a

: motion or rate of motion in a forward direction

b

: advance, progress

gradually making some headway on the project

2

: headroom (as under an arch) sufficient to allow passage

3

: the time interval between two vehicles traveling in the same direction on the same route

Synonyms of headway

• progress
• advance
• process
• advancement
• progression
• procession

Examples of headway in a Sentence

the ant was making little headway carrying a crumb that was about five times his size

Recent Examples on the Web

Three times as many routes will operate 15-minute headways compared to today, and weekend service will match that of weekdays. —Sara Gregory, AJC.com, 6 Mar. 2026

But evidently enough headway has been made to give some hope that a few more days might lead to a deal. —Gene Maddaus, Variety, 6 Mar. 2026

Some headway has been made on that front, but historically, there has been a bit of friction. —Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 5 Mar. 2026

But the headway is even more impressive given that nearly 10% of those final rules were rushed through by the Biden White House in the first month of 2025. —Editorial, Boston Herald, 24 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1730, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing headway

• make headway

Rhymes for headway

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway
• beret

Kids Definition

headway

noun

head·​way -ˌwā 

1

: motion forward

2

: progress entry 1 sense 2