make much headway

USAGE SUMMARY

"make much headway" is a valid phrase in English.
It is used to describe making progress or achieving a goal, often over a long period of time. Example sentence: Despite the difficult circumstances, we have made much headway in solving the problem.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

They didn't make much headway.

The New Yorker

Few believe Mr Abhisit will make much headway.

The Economist

He did not, of course, make much headway.

The New York Times

Misha can't make much headway against such suction.

The New York Times - Books

But, in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) the approach is yet to make much headway.

Landscape and Urban Planning

Furthermore, regionalism and regionalization in this group of economies have failed to make much headway.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The measure is not expected to make much headway in the Senate.

The New York Times

(Not many people who have that particular dream do make much headway).

The New Yorker

In Europe ever-cleaner diesels lead the way and hybrids have yet to make much headway.

The Economist

"We knew going in that we weren't going to make much headway," Ms. Emerson said.

The New York Times

Meanwhile, the Rangers were still not able to make much headway on Roy.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "make much headway" to indicate tangible progress, especially when efforts have been sustained over time. This phrase works well in contexts where forward movement wasn't initially guaranteed.

Common error

Don't use "make much headway" when describing minor advancements. This phrase implies substantial and noticeable progress, not trivial changes.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "make much headway" functions as a verbal phrase. According to Ludwig AI, it is commonly used to indicate significant progress or advancement towards a goal. It suggests that efforts are yielding noticeable results.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Academia

15%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "make much headway" is a commonly used expression that signifies significant progress towards a goal. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and widely found in diverse contexts, particularly in news media, academic writing and scientific reports. The phrase functions as a verbal phrase with a neutral register, suitable for both formal and informal communication. When using the phrase, remember that it implies considerable advancement, not just minor improvements. Related alternatives include "achieve significant progress" and "gain considerable ground", providing nuanced options for describing progress.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

achieve significant progress

Focuses on the accomplishment of noticeable advancement.

make substantial progress

Similar to significant progress, but emphasizes the amount of progress made.

gain considerable ground

Emphasizes territorial or metaphorical gains in a competitive context.

advance significantly

Highlights the act of moving forward in a notable way.

move forward effectively

Focuses on the efficiency of the forward movement.

succeed noticeably

Emphasizes the visible success achieved.

improve markedly

Highlights the degree of improvement.

develop rapidly

Focuses on the speed of development or progress.

make strides

Implies taking large steps towards a goal.

turn the corner

Suggests overcoming a critical point and starting to improve.

FAQs

How can I use "make much headway" in a sentence?

You can use "make much headway" to describe significant progress made towards a goal, as in, "Despite the initial challenges, the team began to "make much headway" after implementing the new strategy".

What can I say instead of "make much headway"?

You can use alternatives like "achieve significant progress", "make substantial progress", or "gain considerable ground" depending on the context.

Is it appropriate to use "make much headway" in formal writing?

Yes, "make much headway" is suitable for formal writing as it is a clear and professional way to describe progress. You can also consider more formal alternatives like "achieve significant progress" if desired.

What's the difference between "make much headway" and "make some progress"?

"Make much headway" implies a greater degree of progress than "make some progress". Use "make much headway" when you want to emphasize that significant advancement has been achieved.