as in major
having great meaning or lasting effect
a tectonic shift in societal trends occurred in the 1960s
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Recent Examples of tectonic
And the Nazca plate, which underlies the eastern Pacific Ocean, also shapes the area’s tectonic scene.
—
Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Jan. 2026
And while Americans’ overall ideological self-identification looks stable in the aggregate (37% very conservative/conservative, 34% moderate, 25% very liberal/liberal), a January 2025 Gallup poll shows that this steadiness hides tectonic tensions tugging beneath the surface.
—Robert T.f. Downes, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2026
Gerardo Vieyra/NurPhoto via Getty Images Mexico is situated between five tectonic plates and is one of the world's most seismically active countries.
—CBS News, 2 Jan. 2026
Here’s a fascinating, in-depth look at tectonic shifts in the media landscape over recent decades.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tectonic
Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 7 Jan. 2026
And while Americans’ overall ideological self-identification looks stable in the aggregate (37% very conservative/conservative, 34% moderate, 25% very liberal/liberal), a January 2025 Gallup poll shows that this steadiness hides tectonic tensions tugging beneath the surface.
—Robert T.f. Downes, Hartford Courant, 6 Jan. 2026
Gerardo Vieyra/NurPhoto via Getty Images Mexico is situated between five tectonic plates and is one of the world's most seismically active countries.
—CBS News, 2 Jan. 2026
Here’s a fascinating, in-depth look at tectonic shifts in the media landscape over recent decades.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tectonic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tectonic
Adjective
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The current phase expands participation to additional countries and concentrates on issues such as prevention of major equipment failures, safety classification of systems, and scenarios involving loss of external power supplies.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
23 Jan. 2026
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While Aspen’s footprint is fixed, Deer Valley is still expanding, creating new ski-in/ski-out neighborhoods and appealing to buyers who value convenience and proximity to a major international airport.—
Roger Sands,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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An Australian study of advanced brain images found significant alterations even among people who had already recovered from mild infections — a possible explanation for cognitive deficits that may persist for years.—
Stephanie Armour,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The burial ground dates back to a significant time in English history, when regional kingdoms started to form and consolidate power.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The deep freeze that changed Texas The February 2021 winter storm brought a historic arctic outbreak across Texas, with multiple rounds of snow and days of sustained subfreezing temperatures.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
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McKee attended Catholic high school in Zanesville, a historic Ohio city about 55 miles east of the capital, according to the Diocese of Columbus.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Metinvest considers human capital as important as advanced technologies.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
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When privacy is important, there’s a physical rotating lens cover that can offer an extra layer of security between meetings or streaming sessions.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Weeks before our big day, my parents repeatedly pressured and attempted to bribe me into signing away the rights to my name, which would have affected me, my wife, and our future children.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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But nearly four years after the couple's wedding, Brooklyn claimed that his parents, Victoria and David Beckham, attempted to ruin their big day.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tectonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tectonic. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
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