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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Scientists have long understood this chain reaction, but a detailed look at how an earthquake-tsunami event unfolds at the source — a subduction-zone trench — has remained difficult to achieve.
—
Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2026
The capacity of ringwoodite to store water supports the concept of a deep water cycle, in which oceanic water carried into the mantle at subduction zones can be retained at depth.
—Divya Dubey, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
Surrounded by the Kitakami Mountains to the west and opening onto the Pacific Ocean to the east, Kuji sits along the Sanriku coast, where the Pacific Plate dives beneath the North American Plate, creating a major subduction zone that produces frequent and sometimes powerful earthquakes.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
These often occur when one of two converging tectonic plates slides underneath the other, creating subduction zones.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 9 Dec. 2025
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Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 7 Apr. 2026
The capacity of ringwoodite to store water supports the concept of a deep water cycle, in which oceanic water carried into the mantle at subduction zones can be retained at depth.
—Divya Dubey, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
Surrounded by the Kitakami Mountains to the west and opening onto the Pacific Ocean to the east, Kuji sits along the Sanriku coast, where the Pacific Plate dives beneath the North American Plate, creating a major subduction zone that produces frequent and sometimes powerful earthquakes.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
These often occur when one of two converging tectonic plates slides underneath the other, creating subduction zones.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subduction
Cite this Entry
“Subduction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subduction. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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