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

If the victory against Croatia made watching England fun, this was back to the grindstone where they were forced to do the dirty work, but could not break through.

From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026

Ironically, it’s the firms most likely to be building AI that are now desperately seeking human “storytellers” to break through the endless AI-generated slop on LinkedIn and elsewhere, with real stories written by actual people.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026

His goals for Guadalajara in their run to the title play-off round semi-final of Liga MX saw him break through to the national side.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

But outside of one lead comedy actress nomination for “Poker Face” star Natasha Lyonne, the platform has struggled to break through in the major scripted categories.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026

He shaved and dressed quickly, watching the mist roll back over the fields and the early morning sun break through.

From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford

Related Words

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