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 area sits atop the El Tigre fault line in the Western Precordillera in Argentina east of the Andes, a complex mountain range defined by numerous fault lines and systems, most notably those created by the subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate. —Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025

Scientists have noticed intriguing patterns on underwater subduction zones in recent years before some of the biggest earthquakes, like the 2014 magnitude-8.1 earthquake in Chile and the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan, which touched off the Fukushima nuclear disaster. —Evan Bush, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2025

And so, with no water left at the surface, major subduction zones would grind to a halt, preventing the entombment of carbon dioxide. —Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025

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

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