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
Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a way to stack high-performance silicon circuits directly on top of one another, a breakthrough that could help the semiconductor industry keep increasing computing power without shrinking transistors further.
—
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 May 2026
But the breakthrough goes beyond replacing dishes.
—New Atlas, 30 May 2026
The Debate Shifts Chan hopes that the technical breakthroughs his team made can now be extended to model the full nitrogenase enzyme and its reaction.
—Quanta Magazine, 29 May 2026
Within a year of his Vitali Daraselia Cup breakthrough, the slender winger made his Dinamo debut.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for breakthrough
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 May 2026
But the breakthrough goes beyond replacing dishes.
—New Atlas, 30 May 2026
The Debate Shifts Chan hopes that the technical breakthroughs his team made can now be extended to model the full nitrogenase enzyme and its reaction.
—Quanta Magazine, 29 May 2026
Within a year of his Vitali Daraselia Cup breakthrough, the slender winger made his Dinamo debut.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for breakthrough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breakthrough
Noun
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Mendoza, an incumbent council member and former Los Angeles Mission College employee, campaigned on public safety, economic development and infrastructure improvements, pointing to efforts to attract new investment and strengthen city finances.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
3 June 2026
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Mohiuddin’s appeal challenges 19 of the 33 conditions of approval, including annual compliance reviews, restrictions on the use of the Farley Road facility, attendance caps and capital improvement conditions for parking expansion, landscaping and screening.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
Noun
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The culinary experiences were highlights of the stay and absolutely worth reserving in advance, whether that’s for dinner at PUR’ or for the hotel’s recent addition of afternoon tea time, built around cookies.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
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Check tour lengths in advance and look at what else is on the property — many distilleries sit on historic estates worth wandering for the scenery alone.—
Lauren Schuster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 June 2026
Noun
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His family went without answers for five decades — until genealogy advancements allowed investigators to crack the cold case by linking human remains found at a waste transfer station in Pima County to Sipfle's family, per KVOA and KOLD.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
31 May 2026
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Cultural Heritage and Responsible Development Satisfying cultural and environmental concerns, particularly around Oak Flat (Chi’chil Bildagoteel), has been crucial to the project’s advancement.—
David Blackmon,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breakthrough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breakthrough. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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