inroad
[noun]
Synonyms: invasion, foray, incursion, irruption, raid
[verb]
Synonyms: invade, foray, overrun, overswarm, raid

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

in‧road /ˈɪnrəʊd $ -roʊd/ noun [usually plural]
make inroads into/on something
a) to have an important effect or influence on something, especially by taking something away from it:
Video is making huge inroads into attendance figures at movie theaters (=taking away its customers).
They have made significant inroads into the European market.
The administrative workload is making massive inroads into our working day (=taking away time).
b) to make some progress towards achieving something difficult:
We haven’t made much of an inroad into the backlog of work.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲