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
The rugged, zigzagging massif is the result of the collision of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates about 100 million years ago and later massive glacial activity in the Pleistocene epoch.
—
Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
Roughly six million years ago, shifting tectonic plates closed the Strait of Gibraltar — a narrow body of water connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean — turning the area into a desertic wasteland.
—Big Think, 17 Oct. 2025
The question is whether China’s new export restrictions are simply retaliatory or represent a tectonic shift in trade policy.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Since 1999 Goldfinger and his team have been drilling into the seafloor at this tectonic crossroads, known as the Mendocino Triple Junction, to pull up cores that show a cross section of the sediments that have built up there.
—Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tectonic
Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
Roughly six million years ago, shifting tectonic plates closed the Strait of Gibraltar — a narrow body of water connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean — turning the area into a desertic wasteland.
—Big Think, 17 Oct. 2025
The question is whether China’s new export restrictions are simply retaliatory or represent a tectonic shift in trade policy.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 16 Oct. 2025
Since 1999 Goldfinger and his team have been drilling into the seafloor at this tectonic crossroads, known as the Mendocino Triple Junction, to pull up cores that show a cross section of the sediments that have built up there.
—Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tectonic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tectonic
Adjective
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The Oceans 11 star said that being in such close proximity to major stars taught him an important lesson early in his career.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
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Later, Owsley Brown II served as board president during major funding drives to build the theater's facilities.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Both ends of the leash will simply enjoy having people pet the therapy dog, chat with the handler, try to calm their nerves before running their big race, and, hopefully, have a significant, measurable feeling of relaxation.—
Kelli Bender,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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The companies that figure out how to orchestrate these cybernetic teams—where AI truly functions as a teammate rather than just a tool—will have a significant competitive advantage in the innovation economy.—
François Candelon,
Fortune,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Public approval of Congress is near historic lows, and polling shows that many voters believe professional politicians are self-interested and out of touch.—
Jeff Harden,
The Conversation,
3 Nov. 2025
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The designer and her team excel at highlighting and restoring the original detail of historic residences and adding a sense of patina to new homes.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The Oceans 11 star said that being in such close proximity to major stars taught him an important lesson early in his career.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
-
For Arsenal, consistency of performances and results is so important to Arteta, with the 43-year-old often highlighting its significance in building them back to being one of Europe’s elite sides.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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For a writer of a book that’s politically informed and deals with culture and history, this creates a big problem.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
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All eyes were on how the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies would sort out their differences on a range of topics from soybeans and fentanyl to rare earth minerals and high-end computer chips.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tectonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tectonic. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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