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
Examples of subduction in a Sentence
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This volatile geological region is formed by the movement and interaction of tectonic plates, especially subduction zones, where one plate is forced beneath another.
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Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 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
The subduction zone could reshape life in the Northwest United States.
—NBC News, 5 Dec. 2024
Most of the world’s earthquakes and tsunamis are caused by the movements of tectonic plates – and the most powerful often occur in subduction zones.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN, 12 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for subduction
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Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 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
The subduction zone could reshape life in the Northwest United States.
—NBC News, 5 Dec. 2024
Most of the world’s earthquakes and tsunamis are caused by the movements of tectonic plates – and the most powerful often occur in subduction zones.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN, 12 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for subduction
Cite this Entry
“Subduction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subduction. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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