subduction

noun

sub·​duc·​tion (ˌ)səb-ˈdək-shən 

: the action or process in plate tectonics of the edge of one crustal plate descending below the edge of another

subduct

(ˌ)səb-ˈdəkt 

verb

Examples of subduction in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In western South America, quakes often strike when one plate — in this case the Nazca Plate in the Pacific — sinks beneath the South American Plate, in a process known as subduction, Ortiz told CNN’s Rafael Romo. — Sana Noor Haq, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026

Raúl Pérez, a geologist with Spain’s Geological and Mining Institute, described the earthquake as a complex subduction event involving the Nazca and South American tectonic plates. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2026

Etna sits near a subduction zone, yet its lava chemistry resembles hotspot volcanoes. — Refractor, 27 July 2026

And Mount Saint Helens in Washington State is the result of the Cascadia subduction zone, where the Juan de Fuca Plate dives below North America. — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 23 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from Late Latin subduction-, subductio withdrawal, from Latin subducere to withdraw, from sub- + ducere to draw — more at tow entry 1

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for subduction

• abduction
• adduction
• conduction
• construction
• deduction
• destruction
• eduction
• induction
• instruction
• obstruction
• production
• reduction