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
While some tactics are timeless for being an employer of choice, new priorities have emerged among employees facing tectonic technological shifts.
—
Diane Brady, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
That’s partly because the country sits atop the boundary of two diverging tectonic plates; it’s constantly being pulled in two.
—Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
His ideas precipitated a tectonic crisis of political legitimacy and unleashed a series of continent-wide wars, sometimes featuring millenarian protocommunist sects like the Anabaptists, who sought to overthrow the social order.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
The fault is part of the Great Valley fault system, a tectonic boundary separating the Coast Ranges and the Central Valley.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tectonic
Diane Brady, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
That’s partly because the country sits atop the boundary of two diverging tectonic plates; it’s constantly being pulled in two.
—Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
His ideas precipitated a tectonic crisis of political legitimacy and unleashed a series of continent-wide wars, sometimes featuring millenarian protocommunist sects like the Anabaptists, who sought to overthrow the social order.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
The fault is part of the Great Valley fault system, a tectonic boundary separating the Coast Ranges and the Central Valley.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tectonic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tectonic
Adjective
-
Russia's Rosatom is building Egypt’s first reactor and has cooperation agreements with Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Tanzania and Niger, spanning major projects, research centers, uranium processing facilities and training programs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Last winter, the college had its first major fight with people who were suspicious of its motives.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
However, significant barriers to entry remain, with access to both club and international matches highly limited.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The revision goes into effect just days after one of the most significant recent rulings in the restitution space.—
Jackie Hajdenberg,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called on Iran and the United States to keep their commitment to maintain a ceasefire, after both countries ended historic face-to-face talks without an agreement.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The astronauts snapped thousands of photos during their historic pass around the moon, shot video and recorded their personal observations to give researchers insights based on the color sensitivity of the human eye.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Other important ceremonial garments are also on display, including the Queen’s wedding dress, from 1947, another Hartnell creation that incorporated not just the white rose of the House of York but also featured orange blossoms, a symbol of fertility.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
-
My co-driver is super important.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
With the Moon meeting Jupiter in your 9th House, big ideas around travel, learning, or growth feel expansive and worth pursuing.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Two of the Cubs’ biggest power threats in the middle of the lineup came into Tuesday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies searching for something to build upon.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tectonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tectonic. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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