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 first stop on this retrospective journey is the Cold War, a time marked by scientific breakthroughs that were both awesome and terrifying.
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Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 10 Jan. 2026
That success forces rival companies to pursue their own breakthroughs and climb up to higher rungs — or get left behind.
—David J. Kappos, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
There’s the smallest of breakthroughs.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 7 Jan. 2026
The $500 Rule by Donny Broussard Limitations are often the source of the biggest creative breakthroughs, and this exercise offers a smart way to kickstart your year of filmmaking.
—Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 6 Jan. 2026
These breakthroughs won’t happen until the last two years of the dig, beginning in April.
—Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 6 Jan. 2026
Self-reflection leads to massive breakthroughs, and all on your own.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
More breakthroughs, more yapping, and more music.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2025
But if people are correct about big breakthroughs occurring in the near future, California can’t afford to miss out on the opportunity.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breakthroughs
Noun
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The goal, Calvo said, is to reduce water costs, improve efficiency and enhance public safety, as well as to assess whether transitioning from analog meters to smart meters could result in improvements.—
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Jafery said this additional ingredient in masa will make drastic improvements in the health of newborns with little changes in production and the lives of tortilla consumers.—
Noun
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Braddy’s motive, investigators say, was that he was spurned by Shandelle, who had repeatedly rejected his advances.—
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Today’s entire schedule contains fewer than 160 antigens, thanks to advances in vaccine technology that allow precise targeting of only the components needed for protection.—
Noun
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Police remain hopeful that recent advancements in DNA testing, which have been used on evidence collected in Amber's case, and new tips from the public will help solve the case.—
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Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.—
Cite this Entry
“Breakthroughs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breakthroughs. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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