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
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Recent Examples of breakthrough
What looked like a failure at first became an unexpected breakthrough.
—
Patrice Poltzer, Contributor, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2025
Companies are being incentivized to develop and deploy technology as fast as possible as little guardrails exist and the pressure is on to lead the world in technological breakthroughs.
—Maria Curi, Axios, 6 Mar. 2025
View 4 Images View gallery - 4 images Researchers at Northwestern University have made a breakthrough in identifying a way for Alzheimer's disease to be treated far more effectively in the future – using the brain's own immune cells.
—New Atlas, 6 Mar. 2025
In studies on mice, his team made the breakthrough discovery that the blood from young brains could rejuvenate old brains.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for breakthrough
Patrice Poltzer, Contributor, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2025
Companies are being incentivized to develop and deploy technology as fast as possible as little guardrails exist and the pressure is on to lead the world in technological breakthroughs.
—Maria Curi, Axios, 6 Mar. 2025
View 4 Images View gallery - 4 images Researchers at Northwestern University have made a breakthrough in identifying a way for Alzheimer's disease to be treated far more effectively in the future – using the brain's own immune cells.
—New Atlas, 6 Mar. 2025
In studies on mice, his team made the breakthrough discovery that the blood from young brains could rejuvenate old brains.
—Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for breakthrough
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breakthrough
Noun
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This improvement streamlined case management, increased productivity, and greatly enhanced our prosecutorial effectiveness.—
Brenda Looper,
arkansasonline.com,
17 Mar. 2025
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This would include pursuing infrastructure grants, state environmental improvement funds, and potential partnerships with conservation organizations.—
Courier-News,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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These services are advertised well in advance and provide a moment of reflection before the day’s exuberant celebrations get underway.—
David Nikel,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
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Federal law requires agencies to notify states generally 60 days in advance when laying off 50 or more people, so that states can jump into action.—
Andrea Hsu,
NPR,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Many leaders in the AI industry and members of the Trump administration have framed America’s dominance in AI advancements as a matter of national security, comparing it to a high-stakes arms race.—
Angela Yang,
NBC News,
13 Mar. 2025
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Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN,
13 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to breakthrough
Cite this Entry
“Breakthrough.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breakthrough. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.
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