Synonyms of breakthrough

breakthrough

noun

ˈbrāk-ˌthrü 

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

• improvement
• advance
• advancement
• enhancement
• development
• innovation
• discovery
• refinement
• evolution
• increase
• upturn
• upswing
• revival
• amelioration
• strengthening
• maturation
• enlightenment
• growth
• betterment
• find
• renaissance
• education
• boost
• expansion
• quantum leap
• uplift
• windfall
• gestation
• ripening
• elaboration
• civilization
• melioration
• upgrade
• perfection
• heightening
• edification
• uptrend
• renascence
• invention

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• setback
• breakdown
• collapse
• crash
• reduction
• impediment
• hindrance
• decrease
• failing
• decline
• deterioration
• stumbling block
• worsening
• lapse
• weakening
• decay
• degeneration
• sinking
• impairment
• descent
• drawback
• shortcoming
• slowing
• lessening
• decadence
• downgrade
• detriment
• glitch
• declension
• diminishment
• disablement
• flagging
• languishment
• ebbing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of breakthrough

Discovered by German physics professor Wilhelm Röntgen in 1895, the breakthrough earned him the inaugural Nobel Prize in Physics later that year. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 23 July 2026

The awards seek to identify promising paths for future scientific breakthroughs and investment. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 23 July 2026

That same day, Michigan flagged a breakthrough in the investigation, announcing that lettuce was the likely villain of the outbreak. — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 23 July 2026

If the timeline for that breakthrough is a matter of debate, its potential impact is not. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 July 2026