breakthrough
/ˈbreɪkθruː
/noun
1A sudden, dramatic, and important discovery or development: a major breakthrough in the fight against AIDS...
- The secret to the Pool Putter's success are two key breakthroughs discovered by Swedish engineer Leif Sundberg.
- The panels have been chosen to represent major breakthroughs achieved by the CSIR in scientific research.
- Scientists at the University of York have made a major breakthrough in the fight against prostate cancer.
Synonyms
advance, development, step forward, leap forward, quantum leap, step in the right direction, success, discovery, find, improvement, innovation, revolution;
progress, headway, advancement
1.1An instance of achieving success in a particular sphere or activity: his big breakthrough came in 1988 when he had two paintings accepted by the RSA [as modifier]: the band’s breakthrough album...
- Kiyoshi Kurosawa's breakthrough film, Cure (1997) proved he knows horror better than the rest.
- His biggest breakthrough came in 1976 with the release of "Wanted!".
- The breakthrough concept DVD is part of the company's 25th anniversary celebration for 2005.