come a long way

Idioms  

1. Make considerable progress or improvement, as in That's good, Rob—you've certainly come a long way. This usage, which transfers the “distance” of a long way to progress, gained considerable currency in the 1960s and 1970s in an advertising slogan for Virginia Slims cigarettes addressed especially to women: “You've come a long way, baby.”

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Example Sentences

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come a long way

We’ve come a long way in combating Alzheimer’s disease over the past decade.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026

Do you feel you’ve come a long way since then?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026

"The production of hardback books has come a long way over the years. The boards for them are now much lighter," she added.

From BBC ● May 24, 2026

Nvidia’s chips have come a long way from their humble origins.

From MarketWatch ● May 23, 2026

“Just that you’ve come a long way kind of fast,” he said.

From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes