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, 15 Mar. 2026

Obscuring the title of the organization also caused few to question why the Democrat’s name had replaced that of baseball great Roberto Clemente, who was killed in a 1972 plane crash when flying to Nicaragua to deliver aid to earthquake victims. —Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 14 Mar. 2026

More: These are the top 10 largest earthquakes in the world How powerful is a magnitude 6.4 earthquake? —Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026

The storage space is a veritable Fort Knox safe from tornadoes, floods, earthquakes and all manner of mischief and mayhem, where the 68-degree temperature and 45% humidity are ideal for preserving paper and film. —Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 3 Mar. 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
• eastlake
• forsake
• handshake
• headache
• heartache

Kids Definition

earthquake

noun

earth·​quake ˈərth-ˌkwāk 

: a shaking or trembling of a portion of the earth