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

It is estimated that there are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year. —Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 6 Dec. 2025

The western part of the state, in particular, is crisscrossed with fault systems capable of producing damaging earthquakes, including the Walker Lane Belt, which absorbs a significant portion of the tectonic strain between the Pacific and North American plates. —Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025

Californians also remain at risk from earthquakes and floods, not to mention crimes and medical crises. —Dan Walters, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025

Map of an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.1 that struck near The Geysers in Sonoma County on Nov. 24, 2025. —Tim Fang, CBS News, 24 Nov. 2025

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