break through

British  

verb

1. (intr) to penetrate

2. (intr, adverb) to achieve success, make a discovery, etc, esp after lengthy efforts

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noun

1. a significant development or discovery, esp in science

2. the penetration of an enemy's defensive position or line in depth and strength

break through Idioms  

1. Penetrate a barrier or obstruction, as in They broke through the wall to get into the vault, or It won't be long before we break through the code and map all human genes. Used literally for going through a physical barrier since about 1400, this phrase began to be used figuratively in the late 1500s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

break through

But as usual, he can’t help but break through the fence and run into traffic.

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026

When creating the presidency, one of the Framers’ greatest worries was that holders of the new office would break through all the anti-monarchical provisions of the Constitution to become autocrats.

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026

"Northern Ireland has taught me that sometimes to break division, to break through cynicism and barriers, you've got to look for those allies in unexpected places and find common ground."

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

The Mexican American DJ and L.A. native Deorro was an inspiration to Avalos, who describes him as “one of the first to break through on major lineups.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Lydia would show him the mounting likes and views of his videos in an effort to break through, but it never worked.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner

Related Words

• arrive
• come
• come out
• crop up
• develop
• emerge
• materialize
• occur
• pop up
• present
• show
• show up
• surface
• turn out
• turn up