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
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Recent Examples of breakthroughs
Sketch one wild concept and record a playful introduction for a project, because joy fuels momentum and often invites surprising breakthroughs.
—
Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2026
State initiatives aimed at supporting fusion research and commercialization have encouraged investment and collaboration, helping establish an ecosystem designed to accelerate technological breakthroughs.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 13 June 2026
Quantum remains experimental in many respects, and significant breakthroughs are still needed.
—Dr. Jonathan Reichental, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
The biggest breakthroughs came during a 2023 expedition supported by a National Geographic grant awarded to Hesham Sallam.
—Sanaa El-Sayed, The Conversation, 4 June 2026
Climate scientists warned that the influence of politics in science funding decisions could prevent important new scientific breakthroughs and set their field back years.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
Medical breakthroughs are not the pinnacle of progress.
—Tomas J. Philipson, Twin Cities, 4 June 2026
For him, the most significant aspect has always been not just the science, but how these breakthroughs improve patients’ lives.
—Matt Emma, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, and Lainey Wilson have all had breakthroughs.
—Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 2 June 2026
Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2026
State initiatives aimed at supporting fusion research and commercialization have encouraged investment and collaboration, helping establish an ecosystem designed to accelerate technological breakthroughs.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 13 June 2026
Quantum remains experimental in many respects, and significant breakthroughs are still needed.
—Dr. Jonathan Reichental, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
The biggest breakthroughs came during a 2023 expedition supported by a National Geographic grant awarded to Hesham Sallam.
—Sanaa El-Sayed, The Conversation, 4 June 2026
Climate scientists warned that the influence of politics in science funding decisions could prevent important new scientific breakthroughs and set their field back years.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 4 June 2026
Medical breakthroughs are not the pinnacle of progress.
—Tomas J. Philipson, Twin Cities, 4 June 2026
For him, the most significant aspect has always been not just the science, but how these breakthroughs improve patients’ lives.
—Matt Emma, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, and Lainey Wilson have all had breakthroughs.
—Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 2 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breakthroughs
Noun
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At the time, David Hackett, senior vice president and chief financial officer at Expeditors, attributed the improvements to artificial intelligence deployments.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
11 June 2026
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The city is reviewing proposals from consulting firms to develop a master plan for improvements to the auto mall after the application period ended May 26, according to Darrell Doan, Elk Grove’s economic development director.—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
11 June 2026
Noun
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Recent advances in Meta’s multimodal reasoning model, Muse Spark , also helped launch premium subscriptions , including Meta OnePlus and Meta One Premium.—
Deena Zaidi,
CNBC,
9 June 2026
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However, recent advances have enabled scientists to successfully target RAS, marking a shift toward more precise, personalized cancer treatments.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
Noun
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Similar rapid advancements occurred with chemistry in the 19th century and physics in the 20th century, and the 21st century will go to biology and medicine.—
Rachel Nuwer,
Scientific American,
16 June 2026
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The case stands as a powerful example of how advancements in forensic science, particularly utilizing DNA and forensic genetic genealogy, continue to transform cold case investigations, delivering answers even decades after crimes occur.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breakthroughs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breakthroughs. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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