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
Having broken off from the southern supercontinent Gondwana roughly 120 million years ago, the Indian landmass drifted north, moving far faster than most tectonic plates do today.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
At the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge off the Norwegian coast, molten rock rises from deep within the Earth between spreading tectonic plates.
—Christian Elliott, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025
Between 24 and seven million years ago, shifting tectonic plates caused to alps to rise up and caused the collapse of the valley floor, allowing water from the Mediterranean to enter.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 18 Apr. 2025
This is a book of big themes, an analysis of how the tectonic plates of geopolitics have collided over the past century and how their current movement again threatens conflict and turmoil.
—John Hillen, National Review, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tectonic
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025
At the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge off the Norwegian coast, molten rock rises from deep within the Earth between spreading tectonic plates.
—Christian Elliott, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Apr. 2025
Between 24 and seven million years ago, shifting tectonic plates caused to alps to rise up and caused the collapse of the valley floor, allowing water from the Mediterranean to enter.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 18 Apr. 2025
This is a book of big themes, an analysis of how the tectonic plates of geopolitics have collided over the past century and how their current movement again threatens conflict and turmoil.
—John Hillen, National Review, 17 Apr. 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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Besides properties of historic interest, the Charlotte History Museum is presenting a few other awards, as well.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
18 Apr. 2025
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The new measurements may lead researchers toward a historic discovery.—
Daniel Apai,
The Conversation,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Three Key Lessons: Pareek’s Insights into Innovation Over the course of his career, Pareek has learned many important lessons.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
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That figure for American whiskey was reduced to 100% in February 2025, a small move, but an important signal.—
Mark Littler,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Testing products that’ll improve your everyday life is a big part of our job here at SELF.—
Sara Coughlin,
SELF,
24 Apr. 2025
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For some, the season also brings big relationship shifts, too.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tectonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tectonic. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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