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
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
Other wealthy countries pay far less for the same drugs and still benefit from the same breakthroughs.
—Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, and Lainey Wilson have all had breakthroughs.
—Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 2 June 2026
Rather than compete on raw rendering quality across all videos, the company has spent four years optimizing for one specific creative input — music — and the breakthroughs that audio-first design unlocks.
—Vivian Toh, Forbes.com, 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
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
Other wealthy countries pay far less for the same drugs and still benefit from the same breakthroughs.
—Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, and Lainey Wilson have all had breakthroughs.
—Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 2 June 2026
Rather than compete on raw rendering quality across all videos, the company has spent four years optimizing for one specific creative input — music — and the breakthroughs that audio-first design unlocks.
—Vivian Toh, Forbes.com, 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breakthroughs
Noun
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This drove up payments to charter schools by more than 3,000% from 1999 to 2014 and diverted funds away from district schools that still needed to maintain fixed costs, such as utilities, staffing and building improvements.—
Julia McWilliams,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
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Participants reported feeling more relaxed and recovered, with measurable improvements in sleep, heart rate variability and training readiness.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2026
Noun
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The project demonstrates how advances in artificial intelligence and machine vision can be combined with precision motion-control systems to automate highly specific tasks.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
2 June 2026
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Over 40 million people worldwide live with HIV, and advances in HIV prevention, particularly PrEP, have reshaped the landscape.—
Christina Ray Stanton,
Time,
2 June 2026
Noun
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These advancements are made possible with Spectrum’s fiber broadband network and industry-leading reliability and speed, which delivers the fastest and most reliable Internet*, keeping game day viewing seamless and exciting.—
Dennis Johnson,
Oc Register,
8 June 2026
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Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.—
Mindy Weisberger,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breakthroughs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breakthroughs. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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