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
-
The most significant and widespread threat arrives after dark.—
Ahmad Bajjey,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
When fully extended, the robot grows from 28 to 50 inches (711 to 1,270 mm) in length, a significant reach for a 110-lb (50-kg) machine that folds down to a size small enough to fit in airline luggage.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 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
-
The heat will linger into the weekend with our next big change coming on Sunday with a cold front bringing showers and MUCH cooler temps, especially into next Monday!—
Bill Kelly,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Gucci's organic sales fell by 8%, a bigger drop than the 6% decline seen in a sell-side consensus cited by analysts.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tectonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tectonic. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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