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
Tonga is more than 1,000 miles away from North Island, but they’re both located along the Tonga-Kermadec Trench, an underwater point where two tectonic plates meet.
—
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 May 2025
Many tectonic plates can shift in Florida in the next year or so.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
There is danger lurking on the sea floor off the Pacific Northwest’s coast: After centuries of two tectonic plates pushing up against each other, the Cascadia subduction zone that runs from Northern California all the way up to British Columbia is due to rupture — possibly in our lifetimes.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 20 May 2025
At least nine people were killed and thousands were evacuated when the volcano erupted in November last year.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of high seismic activity atop multiple tectonic plates.
—Reuters, NBC news, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tectonic
Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 May 2025
Many tectonic plates can shift in Florida in the next year or so.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
There is danger lurking on the sea floor off the Pacific Northwest’s coast: After centuries of two tectonic plates pushing up against each other, the Cascadia subduction zone that runs from Northern California all the way up to British Columbia is due to rupture — possibly in our lifetimes.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 20 May 2025
At least nine people were killed and thousands were evacuated when the volcano erupted in November last year.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of high seismic activity atop multiple tectonic plates.
—Reuters, NBC news, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tectonic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tectonic
Adjective
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This happened when the former Crystal Ice plant burned down some years ago in the midst of another major redevelopment project, on the R Street Corridor.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
8 June 2025
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Alcaraz has now beaten Sinner – who had won 20 straight major matches – five straight times.—
Adam Zagoria,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
Adjective
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The storms have brought significant thunder and lightning but generally have been accompanied by light rainfall, a tenth of an inch or less.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
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Kurt Polzin, chief engineer of NASA's space nuclear propulsion projects, said significant technical hurdles stand in the way of any propulsion system selected to power heavy cargo and humans to Mars.—
Stephen Clark – Jun 3,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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Your town may have a trash pickup walk, a Thanksgiving turkey trot or a stroll to historic sites.—
Elizabeth Passarella,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
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Congress passed the historic bank bailout during her first semester.—
Megan Greenwell,
Rolling Stone,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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This is one of the most important services of their lives.—
Buddha Lo,
People.com,
13 June 2025
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But what’s even more important is how the couple got together in the first place.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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The 2025 Tony Awards was a big night for a lot of people — but mostly for the cast of Glee.—
Andy Swift,
TVLine,
10 June 2025
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This insight reframes the risks of inaction for more than just Sequoia. With AI, the bigger risk is no longer moving too soon but failing to move at all, something which Skates grappled with in his own decision to time the move.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tectonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tectonic. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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