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 Last of Us Part II was a different beast than its predecessor, with a more sprawling story told from different perspectives — and its own tectonic narrative shifts from the first entry that stirred controversy among audiences.
—
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 May 2025
At the time, the match felt like the sort of tectonic shift that had impacted the first leg, a resounding vindication for Mourinho’s pragmatism over Guardiola’s idealism.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Transformative Mega Trends: From the pandemic to the rise of the gig economy, from sustainability imperatives to demographic shifts—these are tectonic forces.
—Janesh Janardhanan, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Then, around 500 million years ago, tectonic forces started bringing fragments of other landmasses toward the future eastern North America.
—Alexandra Witze, JSTOR Daily, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tectonic
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 May 2025
At the time, the match felt like the sort of tectonic shift that had impacted the first leg, a resounding vindication for Mourinho’s pragmatism over Guardiola’s idealism.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
Transformative Mega Trends: From the pandemic to the rise of the gig economy, from sustainability imperatives to demographic shifts—these are tectonic forces.
—Janesh Janardhanan, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
Then, around 500 million years ago, tectonic forces started bringing fragments of other landmasses toward the future eastern North America.
—Alexandra Witze, JSTOR Daily, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tectonic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tectonic
Adjective
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Catch Up On The Story Chelsea can become the first club to win all four major UEFA trophies – but who else could complete the set?—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
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Rio has also been consolidating itself as one of the most filmed cities in the world, surpassing major cinematic destinations such as Paris and Mexico City.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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The bill would also impose significant caps on loans for parents and undergraduate students, while eliminating a lending program for future graduate students.—
Riley Beggin,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
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The secretive base is important to Washington’s interests, giving it a significant military presence in the Indian Ocean.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Set once again at the historic Fillmore Miami Beach, ticket and lineup information for Billboard Latin Music Week 2025 will be announced in the coming weeks.—
Griselda Flores,
Billboard,
24 May 2025
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Starmer met Trump in the Oval Office earlier this year armed with an invitation from Charles to a historic second state visit, all part of efforts to pave the way for Britain to get a U.S. trade deal, which eventually was forthcoming.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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The intelligence teams gather during interviews preceding testing is just as important, if not more so.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
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Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
31 May 2025
Adjective
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Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
31 May 2025
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The seventh grader from Dallas won the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, after last year having come in second place on the big stage.—
Phil Helsel,
NBC news,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tectonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tectonic. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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