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sfondare

to break through, to smash open

verb sfon-DAH-reh Rare
Body & Health Movement

Origin: From s- (intensive prefix) + fondo (bottom), literally to go through the bottom.

Also means

to hit the big time (colloquial)

Usage Note

Sfondare carries two very distinct registers: in a literal sense it means to break through a barrier or wall (sfondare una porta = to break down a door); colloquially it means to achieve great success in a career or art (sfondare nel mondo della musica = to make it in music). The figurative sense is informal and frequent in entertainment journalism.

Examples

"I pompieri hanno dovuto sfondare la porta."

Natural Translation

The firefighters had to break down the door.

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