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

• quake
• shake
• temblor
• 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 bitcoin price has surged almost 30% since falling to April lows and is nearing $100,000 per bitcoin as the market braces for a $10 trillion Wall Street earthquake. —Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025

On the morning of April 14, a 5.2-magnitude earthquake hit San Diego County and was widely felt across Southern California and northern Mexico. —Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 4 May 2025

Campus President Christopher Becker told ABC7 that there is 24/7 security on campus and regular safety drills, fire drills and earthquake drills. —Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2025

Buying earthquake insurance can protect homeowners. —Joel Shannon, USA Today, 2 May 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