subduction
noun
sub·duc·tion
(ˌ)səb-ˈdək-shən 
: the action or process in plate tectonics of the edge of one crustal plate descending below the edge of another
Examples of subduction in a Sentence
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In three cases within the past 1,500 years, the researchers believe that fault ruptures at the Cascadia subduction zone and San Andreas fault occurred just minutes to hours apart.
—
Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Scientists have noticed intriguing patterns on underwater subduction zones in recent years before some of the biggest earthquakes, like the 2014 magnitude-8.1 earthquake in Chile and the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan, which touched off the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2025
And so, with no water left at the surface, major subduction zones would grind to a halt, preventing the entombment of carbon dioxide.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
In their new study, the MEET team presents evidence that subduction and continental crust formation were already active and more vigorous in the Hadean than previously thought.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
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Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Scientists have noticed intriguing patterns on underwater subduction zones in recent years before some of the biggest earthquakes, like the 2014 magnitude-8.1 earthquake in Chile and the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan, which touched off the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 25 Sep. 2025
And so, with no water left at the surface, major subduction zones would grind to a halt, preventing the entombment of carbon dioxide.
—Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
In their new study, the MEET team presents evidence that subduction and continental crust formation were already active and more vigorous in the Hadean than previously thought.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subduction
Cite this Entry
“Subduction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subduction. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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