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 pregnant woman went into labor after being pulled from the rubble of the building in the city, which was the worst impacted by the devastating back-to-back earthquakes in the region, according to South American news outlet HCH Televisión Digital. — Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 29 June 2026

The window for finding survivors in the ruins is closing fast more than four days after the devastating earthquakes. — Gonzalo Zegarra, CNN Money, 29 June 2026

Doublet earthquake in Venezuela is very rare. — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 29 June 2026

What to know about earthquakes Magnitude measures the energy released at the source of the earthquake, the U. S. Geological Survey says. — Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 17 June 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