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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of breakthrough
The Miniature Wife Elizabeth Banks and Matthew Macfadyen star in this dramedy about an egocentric scientist on the verge of a breakthrough who accidentally shrinks his wife, a Pulitzer-winning author who hasn’t written a lick in more than a decade.
—
Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
One of its partners, Phil Morle, pointed to how hyper-fermentation can close the gap between breakthrough strains and reliable, cost-competitive production.
—Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2026
In other words, the birth itself is the breakthrough.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
This movie, which anchors Reef’s climactic breakthrough to his enlightened decision to stop googling himself.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for breakthrough
Rebecca Aizin, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
One of its partners, Phil Morle, pointed to how hyper-fermentation can close the gap between breakthrough strains and reliable, cost-competitive production.
—Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2026
In other words, the birth itself is the breakthrough.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026
This movie, which anchors Reef’s climactic breakthrough to his enlightened decision to stop googling himself.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for breakthrough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breakthrough
Noun
-
Road improvement projects could be placed on hold or significantly delayed.—
Kathryn Watson,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
But their 72 points are an 11-point improvement from 2024-25 and 20 points better than 2023-24.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Vatican facilitates visas and local SIM cards in advance, and arranges hotels and local transportation, allowing reporters to focus on the news rather than logistics.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The pairings could be advertised in advance.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This advancement could bring these powerful light sources out of massive facilities and into more accessible labs, potentially reshaping research in physics, chemistry, medicine, and industry.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Apr. 2026
-
And enormous advancements in robotics, computer analytics and molecular chemistry in the early 1990s meant drug companies were primed to meet that moment.—
Courtney Crowder,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breakthrough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breakthrough. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
