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

In recent days, Haitian police, Kenyan police and a government task force using explosive drones have made some headway in trying to reclaim parts of downtown Port-au-Prince. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026

Detroit Red Wings When respect is earned, respect is given, and the Red Wings are finally making meaningful headway by the model. —Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026

The headway here has been encouraging, and all signs suggest his pivot back to embracing the wholesale channel and focusing on innovation instead of relying too heavily on classics is working. —Jeff Marks, CNBC, 19 Dec. 2025

During a brief break from touring at the beginning of March, Colonel wrote to Tom Diskin, clearly disheartened by his inability to make any headway with Neal. —CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025

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