the Richter scale
noun
technical
: a system of measurement used for showing the strength of an earthquake
The earthquake measured 4.5 on the Richter scale.
Examples of the Richter scale in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2011, an earthquake near Mineral, Virginia, measured at 5.8 on the Richter scale.
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Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2025
In fact, on Wednesday night (May 7) during Metallica’s first-ever appearance at Lane Stadium on their M72 world tour, Hokie fans got so hyped that the Virginia Tech Seismological Observatory said the jumping up and down set off the Richter scale.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 9 May 2025
The quake measured between 7.8 and 8.2 magnitude on the Richter scale and XI (Extreme) on the Mercalli scale.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 29 July 2025
What is the Richter scale? Invented by Richter and his colleague Beno Gutenberg, the Richter Scale is a magnitude scale used to measure the intensity of earthquakes.
—Mariyam Muhammad, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the Richter scale
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Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2025
In fact, on Wednesday night (May 7) during Metallica’s first-ever appearance at Lane Stadium on their M72 world tour, Hokie fans got so hyped that the Virginia Tech Seismological Observatory said the jumping up and down set off the Richter scale.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 9 May 2025
The quake measured between 7.8 and 8.2 magnitude on the Richter scale and XI (Extreme) on the Mercalli scale.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 29 July 2025
What is the Richter scale? Invented by Richter and his colleague Beno Gutenberg, the Richter Scale is a magnitude scale used to measure the intensity of earthquakes.
—Mariyam Muhammad, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the Richter scale
Cite this Entry
“The Richter scale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20Richter%20scale. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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