as in major
having great meaning or lasting effect
a tectonic shift in societal trends occurred in the 1960s
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Recent Examples of tectonic
Beneath grassy plains where zebras and warthogs roam, the tectonic plates of the Rift Valley are slowly breaking apart.
—
Erika Page, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2025
The Friday earthquake originated near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city of about 1.5 million, from rubbing tectonic plates along the Sagaing fault, which runs through the center of the country.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2025
The seafloor widens along rift zones, pushing the tectonic plates apart, and gets recycled into Earth’s mantle along subduction zones.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Around 45 million years ago, the Indian tectonic plate collided with the Eurasian plate before the former started to descend beneath the latter.
—Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tectonic
Erika Page, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Apr. 2025
The Friday earthquake originated near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city of about 1.5 million, from rubbing tectonic plates along the Sagaing fault, which runs through the center of the country.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2025
The seafloor widens along rift zones, pushing the tectonic plates apart, and gets recycled into Earth’s mantle along subduction zones.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Around 45 million years ago, the Indian tectonic plate collided with the Eurasian plate before the former started to descend beneath the latter.
—Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tectonic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tectonic
Adjective
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The Department of Justice (DOJ) has a major advantage here: Google is guilty.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
21 Apr. 2025
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Prior to release, a leaker hacked into the systems of the developers at Naughty Dog and spoiled major plot points from the story months in advance, which fueled a barrage of toxic responses, including death threats, against the creators.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Edwards landed a decent percentage of his strikes at 66 percent, but the pressure from Muhammad limited his attempts to just 71 significant strikes.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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During those years, de León and Simon worked on some of the agency’s most significant and groundbreaking cases.—
Charles Rabin,
Miami Herald,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Gain an edge with CNBC Pro LIVE , an exclusive, inaugural event at the historic New York Stock Exchange.—
Brian Evans,
CNBC,
18 Apr. 2025
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Chamizal, a national memorial: 800 S San Marcial St, El Paso El Camino Real de los Tejas, a national historic trail: see trail map here El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, a national historic trail: runs through Texas and New Mexico.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This Milan Design Week was an important one for Louis Vuitton.—
Liam Hess,
Vogue,
10 Apr. 2025
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Food safety Certain undercooked foods can result in illness, making food safety important for everyone.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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For some, the season also brings big relationship shifts, too.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
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From a regulatory perspective, there are only three big ingredient categories in skin care: over-the-counter drugs; over-the-counter pharmaceuticals; and cosmetics.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
24 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tectonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tectonic. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
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