earthquake

noun

earth·​quake ˈərth-ˌkwāk 

1

: a shaking or trembling of the earth that is volcanic or tectonic in origin

2

: upheaval sense 2

Synonyms of earthquake

• quake
• tremor

Examples of earthquake in a Sentence

a building destroyed by earthquake

the San Andreas Fault is notorious for its earthquakes

Recent Examples on the Web

The best way to protect yourself during an earthquake is to drop, cover and hold on, officials say. —Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 10 May 2026

By August 9, these mini earthquakes were happening once every hour. —Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 10 May 2026

Using the reserves by gaming the system and going around the transparent and required four-vote approval process bypasses an important safeguard for the money our county residents rely on in the event of a natural disaster like a fire, earthquake, flood or pandemic. —Joel Anderson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026

An earthquake the night prior knocked out the town’s power. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for earthquake

• awake
• backache
• beefsteak
• betake
• cheesecake
• cupcake
• daybreak
• forsake
• gouache
• handshake
• headache
• heartache

Kids Definition

earthquake

noun

earth·​quake ˈərth-ˌkwāk 

: a shaking or trembling of a portion of the earth