as in major
having great meaning or lasting effect
a tectonic shift in societal trends occurred in the 1960s
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tectonic
This tectonic process is responsible for frequent seismic events in the area.
—
Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
Tsunamis are a series of giant waves caused by undersea earthquakes at tectonic plate boundaries, or volcanic eruptions.
—George Petras, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
While volcanoes steadily puff the stuff into the air and oceans, the rate at which this happens has subtly changed over millions of years in the course of a grand planetary tectonic ballet.
—Peter Brannen, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
It’s all buoyed by an unparalleled lineup of speakers who are shaping the industry one tectonic shift at a time.
—Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tectonic
Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
Tsunamis are a series of giant waves caused by undersea earthquakes at tectonic plate boundaries, or volcanic eruptions.
—George Petras, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
While volcanoes steadily puff the stuff into the air and oceans, the rate at which this happens has subtly changed over millions of years in the course of a grand planetary tectonic ballet.
—Peter Brannen, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
It’s all buoyed by an unparalleled lineup of speakers who are shaping the industry one tectonic shift at a time.
—Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tectonic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tectonic
Adjective
-
Hernández’s issues in right field are well-documented, and the Dodgers already had to overcome one major miscue this postseason during Game 2 of the Wild Card Series.—
Charlotte Varnes,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Here's your daily look at traffic on major highways in the Kansas City area.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Tribal nations report no immediate significant effects on services like healthcare and education.—
Frank Vaisvilas,
jsonline.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
So then the woman tried calling out to other significant names in her life.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This has triggered debate among people with historic association to United.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Two months after historic floods swept through the Milwaukee area, new data shows that nearly 2,200 homes throughout Milwaukee County sustained major damage or were destroyed.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Oct. 2025
-
None is more important than quarterback Lamar Jackson.—
Jacob Camenker,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Yet, on arguably the country’s biggest sporting day, the then-19-year-old showed no glimmer of nerves.—
Sam Dalling,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
That doesn’t bode well for a Boise State team allowing 225.7 yards per game through the air, which ranks 85th in the country, and getting beaten for big plays.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
27 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tectonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tectonic. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share