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

Capitol, said Garcia’s push to seek records “outside of traditional channels,” including the Epstein estate, helped drive a “public narrative that broke through.”

From Los Angeles Times

That’s when the star goes supernova, which we can detect as soon as the bounced off material breaks through the star's outermost layer — we call this the shock breakout.

From Space Scoop

We knew we were underpenetrated in terms of male consumers, but we weren’t breaking through.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Chiefs finally broke through last week, but Dallas looks like the more complete team right now: healthier, faster on defense, and leaning into a locker room identity.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s also among a handful of tunes one could imagine breaking through for another artist, had it been fleshed out with production that accentuates its dynamic shifts.

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