gain ground
Close the gap
To gain ground is to advance or make progress, especially against opposition or difficulty.
The phrase comes from military and competitive contexts—literally taking territory from an opponent.
Now used broadly: The movement is gaining ground in conservative states, Electric vehicles continue to gain ground against gas-powered cars.
The opposite is lose ground.
- make stridesAchieve significant progress
- make headwayAchieve forward momentum
- overtakePass while moving faster
- catch upReach someone ahead
- come from behindOvercome a deficit
move forward · inch forward · advance · progress · surge · dominate · encroach · foothold · inroads · outpace · traction · on the rise · spread · forge ahead · pick up steam · surpass · momentum · climb
- advanceadvance, move forward, press forward, push forward, proceed
- combat idiomsstab in the back, dodge a bullet, in the crosshairs, fire away, take a shot
- motion idiomsin motion, on the move, on the go, move forward, move along
- progress wordsadvance, progress, improve, grow, develop
- progressprogress, in progress, promotion, raise, making progress
- improvementget better, improvement, do better, enhance, make progress
gain groundlose ground
Suffer setback in progress
fall behind · fall back · retreat · give ground · regress
gain, ground, grounds, gains, grounded, grounding, aground, gainer, gainers