break through

British  

verb

1. (intr) to penetrate

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

---

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.

---

Example Sentences

Last season, the upstart Mariners finally broke through after years of promise, winning 90 games and claiming their first division crown since 2001.

From Los Angeles Times

Word of the seal dribble spread as Kerlon performed it with Brazil's youth teams, but made him a target after breaking through at Cruizero - who sold seal toys in the club shop.

From BBC

Foden has now collected 18 trophies since breaking through into the first-team as a teenager and was called up to the expanded England squad for the forthcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.

From BBC

But people in the comedy world have doubts about the American import’s ability to break through.

From The Wall Street Journal

Ukraine sent small groups to attack Russian rear positions, hoping that the Russians would believe a much larger force had broken through.

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