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

There is heavy resistance at 6,900 after several failed attempts to break through there to new all-time highs.

From MarketWatch

The pair singing along to Prine and DeMent’s “In Spite of Ourselves,” with its wincingly funny lovers trading jabs and devotions, is one moment of levity and self-awareness breaking through the desperation.

From Los Angeles Times

Still, this feels like Arizona could break through at home and win one for the first time since Week 9.

From Los Angeles Times

In his race to the bottom, he’s broken through the floor.

From Los Angeles Times

“There is a relatively stable front line, and breaking through it is extremely difficult,” Budanov said, adding that neither side currently has the capacity for a breakthrough.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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