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
The region sits on tectonic plates and suffers regular earthquakes.
—
Joe Salas, New Atlas, 4 Jan. 2025
Iceland lies along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North America and Eurasian tectonic plates are pulling apart.
—Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 31 Dec. 2024
Subduction zones are regions where a tectonic plate is diving under another plate.
—David Bressan, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024
The country rests above two tectonic plates that shift frequently, resulting in earthquakes that often measure stronger than a magnitude 6.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tectonic 
Joe Salas, New Atlas, 4 Jan. 2025
Iceland lies along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North America and Eurasian tectonic plates are pulling apart.
—Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 31 Dec. 2024
Subduction zones are regions where a tectonic plate is diving under another plate.
—David Bressan, Forbes, 25 Dec. 2024
The country rests above two tectonic plates that shift frequently, resulting in earthquakes that often measure stronger than a magnitude 6.
—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tectonic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tectonic
Adjective
-
In places like Freiburg, where a group of predominantly Syrian immigrants participated in a gang rape that became a major news story, the influx fuelled security fears and anti-immigrant sentiment.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
The New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2025
-
In 2016, Target stated that trans employees and customers could use bathrooms that aligned with their gender identity, becoming one of the first major retailers to speak out amid national debates over trans bathroom accessibility.—
Abby Monteil,
Them,
27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
And the price tag — not his abilities — has prevented LaVine from being moved despite significant interest from both the Bulls and LaVine over the past year.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2025
-
Meta is holding a Fresh Start sale to kick off the year 2025 in style, and is offering some Meta Quest 3, 3S and Quest 2 titles at a significant discount as part of it.—
Andrew Williams,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The snowstorm that hit New Orleans on Tuesday was historic, dumping 10 inches of snow, the most since 1895, and shutting down the city.—
Eric Nehm,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Net income for the year reached a historic high of $10.1 billion, with earnings per share climbing 25% from the previous year to $14.01.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
This year, with the Vancouver Canucks’ star forwards Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller are underperforming and goalie Thatcher Demko missing the first 24 games of the season with a knee injury, captain Quinn Hughes has become more important to his team than ever.—
Carol Schram,
Forbes,
19 Jan. 2025
-
Mark Nuttall: China Cooperation Is Part of Greenland's Broader Ambitions China is an important market for Greenland's seafood exports, particularly shrimp and halibut, which are critical for Greenland's economy.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
19 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The Cubs can't afford to spend big on two trade pieces this winter, just to lose them to free agency next offseason.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
18 Jan. 2025
-
The biggest news is that Weebit has licensed its memory technology to onsemi.—
Thomas Coughlin,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near tectonic
Cite this Entry
“Tectonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tectonic. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share