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 Iberian Peninsula sits on a boundary between two large tectonic plates that are being stressed by a variety of forces, and because of this, the peninsula is turning clockwise very slowly.
—
Devika Rao, TheWeek, 16 Jan. 2026
Alaska’s wealth of lakes can be attributed to a few factors, including erosion, tectonic processes, the thawing of permafrost, and volcanic and glacial activity.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 13 Jan. 2026
On Earth, tectonic faulting in the seafloor enables water to plunge kilometers down into the rock, and as fresh faults are opened up by shifting tectonic plates, new rock is exposed, maintaining the nutrient supply released into the ocean through hydrothermal vents.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 9 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
See All Example Sentences for tectonic
Devika Rao, TheWeek, 16 Jan. 2026
Alaska’s wealth of lakes can be attributed to a few factors, including erosion, tectonic processes, the thawing of permafrost, and volcanic and glacial activity.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 13 Jan. 2026
On Earth, tectonic faulting in the seafloor enables water to plunge kilometers down into the rock, and as fresh faults are opened up by shifting tectonic plates, new rock is exposed, maintaining the nutrient supply released into the ocean through hydrothermal vents.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 9 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
See All Example Sentences for tectonic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tectonic
Adjective
-
At least five competing proposals have emerged from major coalitions, several of which have fractured in recent days as internal disputes deepened.—
JACQUELINE CHARLES MIAMI HERALD,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
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This latest release coincides with a major celebration of his spiritual organization, the incarnation month of its second guru, Shah Satnam Singh.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Earlier this week, the UN Refugee agency said a significant number of residents had left Al-Hol camp, the other major detention camp in Syria, and that the Syrian government plans to relocate them.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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The direct meeting with Grossi is a significant step after Iran suspended all cooperation with the IAEA following the 12-day war in June with Israel.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The neighborhood/area Nestled along Pinney's Beach, the property sits just minutes from museums, plantation homes, and historic churches dating to the 1600s.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
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Missouri - Travelers can cross the historic Chain of Rocks bridge over the Mississippi River and explore underground cages.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
As for the ever important flame, a high-performance burner powered by bio-GPL produced from 100 percent renewable feedstocks by energy company ENI is at the core of the torch.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
6 Feb. 2026
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Its mass is the most important factor in determining both its lifetime and its fate, with other secondary factors, such as metallicity (or the fraction of heavy elements present within it), also playing a role.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This offers a big potential advantage.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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The blow was particularly devastating because the show has no big investors or grant financing, Smook said.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tectonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tectonic. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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