An important advance that overcomes a barrier and opens a new way forward.
Reach for it when naming a discovery, result, or realization that changes what can be done
The low-cost filter was a breakthrough for clinics without reliable power.
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm | |
| professional |
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| literary |
playful
eureka moment
Fits when a sudden personal insight is being celebrated
Not when years of cumulative work produced the result
playful
leap forward
Fits when dramatic progress suits an energetic voice
Not when the gain is important but incremental
everyday
Fits when new knowledge is the central result
Not when the progress came from implementation rather than finding something
warm
Fits when a significant stage in longer progress deserves recognition
Not when the event changed the available path rather than marking it
professional
Fits when meaningful forward movement is established
Not when a specific barrier has been overcome
professional
Fits when a novel method or product creates value
Not when the result may be a realization with nothing newly invented
literary
turning point
Fits when the course of events changes direction
Not when a technical solution rather than a narrative shift is meant
major breakthrough
A major breakthrough allowed the team to test the treatment safely.
scientific breakthrough
The scientific breakthrough rested on decades of shared data.
make a breakthrough
They could make a breakthrough only after questioning the original assumption.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Wodencafe, Texas accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC0 Updated
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