as in improvements
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 breakthroughs
The Pima County Sheriff's Department has been searching for Guthrie for nearly two months but have had no major breakthroughs in the case in recent weeks.
—
Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026
Because the power-conference programs are ramping up their spending on players, such breakthroughs may be becoming more difficult.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Scientific breakthroughs aren’t keeping up with our collective imagination and the availability of capital to fund new innovation.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Whatever the case, there have been some significant, if sporadic, breakthroughs.
—Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
And more medical breakthroughs meant more need for fresh bodies.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
Zahn conducts interviews with investigators, family members and others connected to the cases, while examining the investigative breakthroughs that ultimately brought suspects to justice.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
Some mistakenly argue that accelerating coverage for breakthroughs could lead to significant increases in health care costs.
—Josh Makower, STAT, 16 Mar. 2026
There are a lot of breakthroughs happening with this disease right now.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 22 Mar. 2026
Because the power-conference programs are ramping up their spending on players, such breakthroughs may be becoming more difficult.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Scientific breakthroughs aren’t keeping up with our collective imagination and the availability of capital to fund new innovation.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Whatever the case, there have been some significant, if sporadic, breakthroughs.
—Adam Ciralsky, Vanity Fair, 19 Mar. 2026
And more medical breakthroughs meant more need for fresh bodies.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
Zahn conducts interviews with investigators, family members and others connected to the cases, while examining the investigative breakthroughs that ultimately brought suspects to justice.
—Kennedy French, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
Some mistakenly argue that accelerating coverage for breakthroughs could lead to significant increases in health care costs.
—Josh Makower, STAT, 16 Mar. 2026
There are a lot of breakthroughs happening with this disease right now.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breakthroughs
Noun
-
New love or commitment and game-changing improvements are on deck for mid- to late April.—
Magi Helena,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
But if these upgrades touted by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) follow the path of past improvements to the short-range wireless standard, buying hardware that supports them may require some up-front research.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Along the way, the Soviets and the Americans would try to outdo each other, leading to earlier advances in technology and perhaps quicker social change, like the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Recent advances in artificial intelligence have enabled militaries and intelligence agencies to sift through vast amounts of surveillance footage and identify targets.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Placer County Sheriff's Office in California The break in the case came through advancements in DNA technology and decades of investigative work, the sheriff's office said.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Stay informed about the latest advancements in military technology, defense strategies, and global conflicts.—
Interesting Engineering,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breakthroughs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breakthroughs. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
