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
Trump met Kim several times during his first term, holding landmark summits that ultimately failed to produce a meaningful breakthrough.
—
Will Ripley, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
Take the quiz here … LIFE ENGINEERED – Robots power breakthrough in pregnancy research, boosting IVF success rates.
—FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Her breakthrough film, Elizabeth (1998), her first Academy Award nomination, earned cameraman Remi Adefarasin an Oscar nom (and a Golden Frog win at Camerimage).
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
These breakthroughs often reshape both behavior and relationships, turning frustration into understanding.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for breakthrough
Will Ripley, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
Take the quiz here … LIFE ENGINEERED – Robots power breakthrough in pregnancy research, boosting IVF success rates.
—FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Her breakthrough film, Elizabeth (1998), her first Academy Award nomination, earned cameraman Remi Adefarasin an Oscar nom (and a Golden Frog win at Camerimage).
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2025
These breakthroughs often reshape both behavior and relationships, turning frustration into understanding.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for breakthrough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breakthrough
Noun
-
That improvement has continued this season, with Barcelona adding more layers to their set-piece threat.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
If approved, the program would measure improvements by comparing passenger count data to fare collection data, according to the release.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Despite the advances in AI, Duan concedes that early domestic CAE software lagged behind foreign competitors in several areas.—
Ni Tao,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Every incremental advance in writing technology will accelerate progress across the entire spectrum of life science, from agriculture to pharmaceuticals, and from materials science to planetary defense; DNA synthesis is, after all, the foundational tool for engineering biology and biomanufacturing.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Achieving quick, consistent self-assembly in solution without evaporation has remained a significant difficulty, despite advancements in block copolymer templating, metal alkoxide chemistry, and nanomaterials.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The designers also wanted to pay homage to the technology that makes an advancement like this possible.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Breakthrough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breakthrough. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share