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 heavy urban freeway congestion (the type common in California), rapid braking and short headways create chain-reaction risk. —Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone, Sacbee.com, 21 Apr. 2026

While the outlines of some of his ink are still visible, the Saturday Night Live alum has clearly made significant headway in his tattoo removal. —Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026

Jesse goes heads over to lay down the law but can’t make much headway. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026

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

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