'make headway' definitions:

Definition of 'make headway'

(from WordNet)
verb
Obtain advantages, such as points, etc.; "The home team was gaining ground"; "After defeating the Knicks, the Blazers pulled ahead of the Lakers in the battle for the number-one playoff berth in the Western Conference" [syn: gain, advance, win, pull ahead, make headway, get ahead, gain ground] [ant: drop off, fall back, fall behind, lose, recede]

Synonyms of 'make headway'

From: Moby Thesaurus