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

The Nankai Trough is a 700-kilometer-long (435-mile) subduction zone, where one tectonic plate slips beneath another. —Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2025

Tobin said the successful tsunami warning Tuesday should spur investment in seafloor sensors and seismic monitoring stations offshore along the subduction zone. —Evan Bush, NBC news, 31 July 2025

The area, which is known as the Kuril-Kamchatka subduction zone, is the spot were the Pacific plate slides beneath the North America plate, according to the USGS. —Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 30 July 2025

More specifically, in this part of the South Pacific Ocean, the edge of the Pacific Plate is being forced under the edge of the Australian Plate through a process known as subduction. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 May 2025

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