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

The police made little headway, but Zac’s parents, Rachelle and Matthew, were determined to find out what happened to their son, who had been leading a secret life pretending to be the son of a Russian oligarch. —Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 9 Apr. 2026

Two years later, after making very little headway as an independent labor group, the ALU affiliated with the Teamsters. —Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 6 Apr. 2026

Harry Kane was out with an ankle issue ahead of next week's Champions League quarterfinal against Real Madrid and Nicolas Jackson was suspended so Serge Gnabry was tasked with leading the Bayern attack but made little headway. —ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026

Has any federal plan to tax the wealthy made any headway in Congress? —Dana Taylor, USA Today, 25 Mar. 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