as in major
having great meaning or lasting effect
a tectonic shift in societal trends occurred in the 1960s
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
Retirement 2025 were selected from a list of counties Investopedia ranked according to several factors a retiree might consider, including cost of living, proximity to major airports, and access to quality health care.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Mar. 2025
-
For our analysis, access to travel was determined by the distance between each county center and the nearest major airport.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
By contrast, merely containing Russian and allied forces represents a significant victory for the Ukrainians.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Besides properties of historic interest, the Charlotte History Museum is presenting a few other awards, as well.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
18 Apr. 2025
-
The new measurements may lead researchers toward a historic discovery.—
Daniel Apai,
The Conversation,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This Milan Design Week was an important one for Louis Vuitton.—
Liam Hess,
Vogue,
10 Apr. 2025
-
That’s important to bring out the best in the people around you.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Heading them is none other than Robert Keller, who wasn’t killed after all, and now blames his big bro for abandoning him.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
11 Apr. 2025
-
But after the first episodes aired I was blown away about the magnitude of how big the show is.—
Maer Roshan,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tectonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tectonic. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share