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

With Dolphin expected to affect part of Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu, residents whose houses were damaged by last week’s deadly earthquake were placing blue tarps on roofs and walls to prevent water damage. — ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026

Washington and Tokyo have coordinated in currency markets more recently, in 2011, but that was to push the yen down after the East Japan earthquake. — Frank Holmes, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

The earthquake's epicenter was approximately 1 mile west-southwest of Canyondam and occurred at a depth of 5 miles. — Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 6 Aug. 2026

The effort has included resilience drills testing how local officials would keep the government running during cascading crises, from earthquakes to a Chinese invasion. — Reuters, NBC news, 5 Aug. 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