headway

noun

head·​way ˈhed-ˌwā 

1

a

: motion or rate of motion in a forward direction

b

: advance, progress

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

• advance
• advancement
• furtherance
• going
• march
• onrush
• passage
• process
• procession
• progress
• progression

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

Tune back into your daily load of responsibilities and make some headway on your to-do lists. —Nina Kahn, StyleCaster, 24 Mar. 2025

The John Wick and The Matrix alum recently told Inverse that after years of attempts to make a follow-up to the gritty supernatural thriller, fans may soon see that vision come to fruition with headway being made in the creative process. —Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 22 Feb. 2025

The East Busway route will be named the Purple Line, featuring enhanced five-minute headways during peak hours. —Ryan Deto, Axios, 11 Feb. 2025

After President Emmanuel Macron of France navigated his meeting with President Trump on Monday, skirting the rockiest shoals but making little headway, Mr. Starmer, the British prime minister, will meet Mr. Trump on Thursday to plead for the United States not to abandon Ukraine. —Mark Landler, New York Times, 26 Feb. 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