breakthrough

noun, often attributive break·through \ ˈbrāk-ˌthrü \

|Updated on: 5 Jul 2018

Examples: breakthrough in a Sentence

Definition of breakthrough

1 warfare : an offensive military assault that penetrates and carries beyond a defensive line

2 : an act or instance of moving through or beyond an obstacle

a breakthrough in the talks between the region's leaders

a breakthrough agreement

3 a : a sudden advance especially in knowledge or technique

a medical breakthrough

b : a person's first notable success

a breakthrough novel

the actress's breakthrough performance

See breakthrough defined for English-language learners

See breakthrough defined for kids

Examples of breakthrough in a Sentence

Researchers say they have made a major breakthrough in cancer treatment.
The police have announced a breakthrough in the murder case.
This job could be the breakthrough she's been waiting for.

Recent Examples of breakthrough from the Web

Neruda said the ordeals of the era invited the poets’ breakthrough.

— benjamin kunkel, The New Republic, "The partisan world of Pablo Neruda," 2 July 2018
Although Honda was the first car company to sell a hybrid car, the breakthrough 1999 Insight hatchback, Honda's hybrids never caught up to the popularity of Toyota and its Prius.

— david pan, USA TODAY, "2019 Honda Insight Hybrid Goes on Sale," 1 July 2018
The crucial breakthrough was the ability to limit the volume of foam.

— isaac stanley-becker, chicagotribune.com, "Inventor who made ballpark beer flow freely dies after being trapped in cooler at Braves stadium," 28 June 2018
Frustrated into stoppage time, the breakthrough finally arrived via a deft finish from Coutinho.

— hayden bird, BostonGlobe.com, "Gisele was pretty pumped for Brazil’s dramatic World Cup win," 22 June 2018
The first scientific breakthrough in lung cancer that affects individuals who never smoked, for example, was a genetic mutation in solid tumors commonly found in women of East Asian descent.

— amy m. miller, STAT, "Studying sex differences will improve health for women and men," 13 June 2018
Shelnutt’s home run helped the Seminoles breakthrough offensively, after having several opportunities throughout the game to score.

— safid deen, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Florida State beats Washington 1-0, takes Game 1 of Women's College World Series," 5 June 2018
The breakthrough will prevent diseased animals from entering the food supply—and thereby reduce the incidence of food poisoning and save lives.

— neil c. olson, Fortune, "America’s Veterinarian Shortage Is Bad for Animals and Humans Alike," 5 June 2018
These days, headlines tout the latest breakthroughs in machine learning and neural networks.

— kevin hartnett, The Atlantic, "How a Pioneer of Machine Learning Became One of Its Sharpest Critics," 19 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'breakthrough.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of breakthrough

1915

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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breakthrough Synonyms

break through

verb

Definition of break through

intransitive verb

: to make a breakthrough

First Known Use of break through

1946

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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BREAKTHROUGH Defined for English Language Learners

breakthrough

noun

Definition of breakthrough for English Language Learners

: a sudden increase in knowledge, understanding, etc. : an important discovery that happens after trying for a long time to understand or explain something
: a person's first important success