as in improvement
an instance of notable progress in the development of knowledge, technology, or skill
Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin was one of medicine's great breakthroughs, for penicillin became the first antibiotic to successfully combat bacterial infections in humans
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Recent Examples of breakthrough
Kevin Stefanski takes over as head coach and will try to help guide this team to a breakthrough.
—
Mike Jones, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Trilateral talks between the United States, Russia and Ukraine were held in Abu Dhabi in early February, where the sides met twice but emerged with only a limited breakthrough — agreeing to a 314-person prisoner exchange, the first such swap in five months.
—Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Maintaining a positive mindset at work delivers a morning breakthrough as the moon harmonizes with Mars.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
International private investigator Jay Armes III says the footage could be a major breakthrough.
—Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for breakthrough
Mike Jones, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2026
Trilateral talks between the United States, Russia and Ukraine were held in Abu Dhabi in early February, where the sides met twice but emerged with only a limited breakthrough — agreeing to a 314-person prisoner exchange, the first such swap in five months.
—Ashley Carnahan, FOXNews.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Maintaining a positive mindset at work delivers a morning breakthrough as the moon harmonizes with Mars.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
International private investigator Jay Armes III says the footage could be a major breakthrough.
—Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for breakthrough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breakthrough
Noun
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The district would not be able to properly maintain buildings, update equipment or make other improvements without reallocating funds currently used for staff, a district spokesperson said.—
Kendrick Calfee
February 11,
Kansas City Star,
11 Feb. 2026
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While both groups showed improvements, the exercise group had lower scores on the Panic Agoraphobia Scale than the relaxation group after 12 weeks.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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True to Gomis’ method, almost none of the dialogue was scripted in advance, with scenes shaped in the present tense during the shooting which took place on location, between France and a village in Guinea-Bissau.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
11 Feb. 2026
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The three group winners and the best overall runner-up advance to the quarterfinals.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Fashion, philanthropy celebrated at March event A fundraising event set for March 4 will combine fashion with philanthropy as ticket holders compete for a chance to win name-brand purses and designer sunglasses while supporting the advancement of women in the area, according to a release.—
Post-Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
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More recently, advancements in automation and artificial intelligence prompted a full rebuild of the platform, resulting in the current generation of Pet Parent.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breakthrough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breakthrough. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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