to gain traction
- phrasal verb
:
agarrar
- After a minute, the tires gained traction, the sound evened out, and taillights disappeared in the thickening snow.
- bicycle tires could gain traction
Examples
-
To climb the steep hill, the cyclist needed to gain traction on the wet pavement.
-
I am sure that over the lifetime of the program, this was the cheapest method of heating water, but solar water heating simply hasn't gained traction in most places.
Blog text (28) -
His chilly breath sweeps across Reno as he giggles in anticipation at the cars sliding down the icy King's Row, unable to gain traction.
Blog text (30) -
The car finally gained traction on the slippery road after adjusting the tires.
-
This new formula helps your shoes gain traction on slippery surfaces.
Antonyms
- Specialized
1
6.7
Loss of grip in a machine part that makes it slide, as when a belt slips on a wheel
How Grippy
Surface Forms
Morphology
The sense 'to acquire or increase grip/friction or momentum' is directly and compositionally derived from 'gain' (to increase/obtain) + 'traction' (grip, friction, or figurative momentum). This verb + noun combination follows a straightforward compositional pattern used both literally and metaphorically in English (and paralleled in many languages), so a B1 learner who knows the constituent meanings would be able to infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Gain traction has a literal origin in driving and walking: to gain traction is for tires or shoes to get a firm grip on the ground so movement becomes possible or easier. So it means 'to get more grip' in a physical way.