break
He was over 50 when he got his first big break in television.
This town is full of unemployed actors waiting for their big break.
She had her biggest break when Johnny Cash recorded one of her songs.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Opportunity
another/a second bite at/of the cherryidiom
be in with a shoutidiom
best betidiom
bite
fish
foot
going
have a few, several, etc. irons in the fireidiom
have a field dayidiom
hay
headroom
inch
iron
platform
room for manoeuvreidiom
scope
second chance
shop window
the American dream
the run of somethingidiom