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
3a : a sudden advance especially in knowledge or technique a medical breakthroughb : a person's first notable success a breakthrough novel the actress's breakthrough performance
From the M-W Editors
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
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Her supporting role as Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice set the stage for her current breakthrough part and prepped her for at least two more appearances in upcoming Justice League sequels.
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Senior shortstop Emily Hudgins, the Penn State recruit, and junior second baseman Claire Swedberg contributed to the breakthrough inning by blasting consecutive two-run doubles off Libertyville pitcher Hannah Heraty (25-6).
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Or take the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, or ARPA-E, which finances firms attempting to develop breakthrough energy technology.
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Kanaan, a driver who had his heart broken repeatedly at Indy before his breakthrough victory four years ago, can’t predict what might happen.
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How Republicans might broker some of the differences wasn’t clear as members headed for the airport, though individual Senators are clearly looking for a breakthrough.
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Bloomberg TV Canada talks to Apple co-founder and tech legend Steve Wozniak about the next big breakthroughs in Silicon Valley, the most promising moonshots and his impressions of Canadian innovation.
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The White House believes that Trump has made personal breakthroughs with his peers, having now met one-on-one with all the leaders of G-7.
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Many hoped this breakthrough would light the path towards whole organ preservation.
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.
1915
First Known Use of breakthrough
1915
BREAKTHROUGH Defined for English Language Learners
breakthrough
playDefinition of breakthrough for English Language Learners
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: a sudden increase in knowledge, understanding, etc. : an important discovery that happens after trying for a long time to understand or explain something
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: a person's first important success
BREAKTHROUGH Defined for Kids
breakthrough
playDefinition of breakthrough for Students
: a sudden advance or successful development a breakthrough in medical research
Learn More about breakthrough
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See words that rhyme with breakthrough Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for breakthrough Nglish: Translation of breakthrough for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of breakthrough for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about breakthrough
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