earthquake
noun
earth·quake
ˈərth-ˌkwāk 
1
: a shaking or trembling of the earth that is volcanic or tectonic in origin
2
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
Come pandemic, or earthquake, or civil war, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in every fourth November is a presidential election.
—
Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 12 Sep. 2025
The earthquake's epicenter was located roughly 4 miles south-southwest of Yosemite Lakes and occurred at a depth of 13 miles.
—Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Indian leaders have also downplayed the area’s earthquake risk while citing tsunamis as a reason why the Great Nicobarese indigenous people living in government camps cannot return to their ancestral villages.
—M. Rajshekhar, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
Reuters Television images showed helicopters ferrying out the affected, while residents helped security forces and medics carry the wounded to ambulances in an area with a long history of earthquakes and floods.
—Mohammad Yunus Yawar, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for earthquake
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Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 12 Sep. 2025
The earthquake's epicenter was located roughly 4 miles south-southwest of Yosemite Lakes and occurred at a depth of 13 miles.
—Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Indian leaders have also downplayed the area’s earthquake risk while citing tsunamis as a reason why the Great Nicobarese indigenous people living in government camps cannot return to their ancestral villages.
—M. Rajshekhar, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
Reuters Television images showed helicopters ferrying out the affected, while residents helped security forces and medics carry the wounded to ambulances in an area with a long history of earthquakes and floods.
—Mohammad Yunus Yawar, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for earthquake
Cite this Entry
“Earthquake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earthquake. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
earthquake
noun
earth·quake
ˈərth-ˌkwāk
: a shaking or trembling of a portion of the earth
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