"gaining traction for" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to describe when a concept, idea, or activity is becoming more widely accepted or popular. For example, "Alternative energy sources have been gaining traction for years as an environmentally friendly solution."
Strong, sharp claws are also important for gaining traction, for digging through ice, and for killing prey.
Jernigan's approach, often referred to as community-based participatory research, has been gaining traction for the past two decades.
And as those political leaders named denied any legal wrongdoing, a moral argument is gaining traction for widespread reform of the offshore tax system.
Appearing on Fox News Wednesday, he said his victory in New Hampshire's Republican primary proved "this kind of attack on free enterprise is not gaining traction for them".
But Mr. Spiegel and his co-founder, Bobby Murphy, 24, say Snapchat is gaining traction for more than R-rated exchanges.
I prefer a narrower maxim: namely that complex, over-nuanced political messages stand little chance of gaining traction, for the simple reason that most people have lives and do not agonise over the details that so absorb politicians and the commentariat.
Microsoft is still trying to gain traction for its Windows phone operating system, while a slew of handsets with Android installed will be launched this year.
Founded in 2006, the New York-based OMGPOP struggled to gain traction for years before releasing Draw Something six weeks ago.
Despite having well known and articulate foreign and finance ministers, Poland, the previous holder of the presidency, struggled to gain traction for its agenda.
In his working notes for "The Last Tycoon," he foreshadows a view of the cinema that wouldn't gain traction for years to come: When Stahr is sick he keeps saying give it back to the directors again.
