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

Even when therapists break through to their patients, the patients often fall back to the always-available chatbot once they’re outside the doctor’s office.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

Exactly how soft lithium dendrites manage to break through a hard ceramic electrolyte has long puzzled researchers.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026

The good news is that the much-needed public discussion of this issue is starting to break through the shamed silence.

From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026

Party insiders say the two are "complementary", each appealing to different sectors of the population and the combination potentially allowing the RN to break through its glass ceiling and finally win power.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

Matthias felt the sword of Martin break through the stone.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Related Words

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