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

By 1926, Caltech was running the Seismo Lab with the Carnegie Institution, where seismologists like Beno Gutenberg and Charles Richter would deepen our understanding of earthquakes. — Danny Robb, JSTOR Daily, 25 Sep. 2026

In that time, Gundlach Bundschu has survived a major pest outbreak, the San Francisco earthquake and fire, which destroyed one million gallons of wine and Prohibition. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

The earthquake's epicenter was approximately 5 miles west-northwest of Anza and occurred at a depth of 7 miles. — Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2026

The region was also among those most severely affected by the February 2023 earthquakes that devastated southern Turkey and northern Syria. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 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