breakthroughs

noun

plural of breakthrough
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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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 Total solar eclipses have driven major scientific breakthroughs for more than a century, most famously providing one of the first observational tests of Einstein’s general theory of relativity in 1919. — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026 Building on earlier thermal breakthroughs THREADS is also part of a longer effort to make GaN electronics better at handling heat. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026 In Northern Ireland, for example, years of backchannel talks paved the way for later breakthroughs. — Matt Waldman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026 Citing a source who holds a senior position in the Iranian government, Reuters reported on Wednesday that no breakthroughs had been made in efforts to revitalize an interim peace deal reached in June. — Chloe Taylor,lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026 Minimalist trends and mass-production breakthroughs shaped the plant choices of the era. — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 12 Aug. 2026 For scientists like Cohen, these molecules are an exciting area of research that could reap significant health breakthroughs. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 Similar models exist in other countries and are seen as important to accelerating breakthroughs and administering life-saving treatments especially for rare diseases, where there is little commercial incentive for research. — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breakthroughs
  1. improvements
  2. advances
  3. advancements
Noun
  • Rivian credits its improvements with its push toward vertical integration that included a new generation of software and electric architecture for its vehicles.
    — Michael Wayland, CNBC, 15 Aug. 2026
  • At The Ottawa Hospital, operational improvements were associated with approximately 40 fewer deaths and $9 million in annual savings.
    — Eugene Litvak, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of improvements
Noun
  • As her condition advances, the story folds in her strained bonds with her daughter, played by Wen Qi, and her father, played by Fifth Generation filmmaker Tian Zhuangzhuang.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Advertisement The outcome of the midterms will likely determine whether Sanders’ AI equity tax advances, and thus the coming months may decide who owns America’s AI future.
    — Sarah Polcz, Time, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of advances
Noun
  • These engineering advancements demonstrate that the memory bottleneck is a design choice, poised to disrupt current memory market valuations and reinforce the semiconductor industry's cyclical nature.
    — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • No one in the nuclear industry really understood the massive technological advancements made in oil drilling within the last 10 to 20 years, Baltzer told Fortune.
    — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of advancements

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breakthroughs
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Cite this Entry

“Breakthroughs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breakthroughs. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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