gaining steam
Picking up speed
Gaining steam means building momentum or increasing in intensity, speed, or support.
The metaphor comes from steam engines, which required time to build pressure before reaching full power.
A movement gains steam as it attracts followers; a project gains steam as it progresses: The campaign is really gaining steam now.
- driveOperate a vehicle
- surgeSudden powerful increase
- gathering paceIncreasing in velocity
- pushForce something away
- headwayForward progress achieved
picking up speed · building momentum · groundswell · gaining traction · velocity · escalation · expansion · speed · quickening · snowballing · snowball effect · force · proliferation · propulsion · catching fire · on the rise · hiss · chug
- increasesincrease, rise, boost, hike, jump
- momentumbuilding momentum, gaining traction, pick up speed, picking up speed, snowball effect
gaining steamlosing steam
Declining in energy or force
stalling · slowing down · grinding to a halt · petering out · winding down
gaining steamlosing ground
declining · dying out · on the decline · losing steam · waning
gaining steamfizzling out
Gradually losing momentum
dying down · fading · weakening · waning · ebbing
gain, gains, gained, gainer, gainers, regain, regains, regained, regaining