1
as in quake
a shaking of the earth
the San Andreas Fault is notorious for its earthquakes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in upheaval
a violent disturbance (as of the political or social order)
the election of the socialist candidate caused a political earthquake that nearly led to a military coup
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of earthquake
Nepal was added after a devastating earthquake in 2015.
—
Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 1 Aug. 2025
West Coast cities, and Hawaii, this week were warned of possible tsunamis after a large earthquake that hit Russia, and caused a tsunami there.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 31 July 2025
On Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, a flurry of small earthquakes shook the Iliamna volcano on June 15.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 14 July 2025
While much of America has moved past COVID-19, the pandemic that hit the industry like an earthquake continues to experience aftershocks.
—Alexander Coolidge, The Enquirer, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for earthquake
Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 1 Aug. 2025
West Coast cities, and Hawaii, this week were warned of possible tsunamis after a large earthquake that hit Russia, and caused a tsunami there.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 31 July 2025
On Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, a flurry of small earthquakes shook the Iliamna volcano on June 15.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 14 July 2025
While much of America has moved past COVID-19, the pandemic that hit the industry like an earthquake continues to experience aftershocks.
—Alexander Coolidge, The Enquirer, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for earthquake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earthquake
Noun
-
People in the area should prepare for possible aftershocks, which could follow minutes, hours or even days after the initial quake, the agency said.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
5 Aug. 2025
-
These may follow minutes, hours or even days after the initial quake.—
Lincoln Anderson,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Constant procedural upheaval and backlogs are poison.—
Scott White,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
King took over in June as the district was confronting a $734 million budget crisis in the wake of leadership upheaval.—
Kate Perez,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The airburst arrived almost a minute and a half after the tremor.—
Charles Pellegrino,
Rolling Stone,
6 Aug. 2025
-
The tremor struck just over a mile southwest of Hillsdale, New Jersey, at about 12:11 p.m. ET, and had a depth of about seven miles, according to USGS.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The proposal being evaluated now would allow the president to mobilize troops and put them on Title 32 orders in a state experiencing unrest.—
ALEX HORTON AND DAVID OVALLE THE WASHINGTON POST,
Arkansas Online,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Can Trump deploy the National Guard in Washington, D.C.? A sitting president does have the power to deploy military troops in times of civil unrest.—
Joyce Orlando,
Nashville Tennessean,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The systems may still be catching up, but the revolution has already begun, quietly, in homes, clinics, and communities.—
Ginger Gentile,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
-
In the play, the composer blames the tsar for unleashing the violent revolution and thus causing his own devastating displacement.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Instead, meteorologists anticipate the storm will pass between Bermuda and North Carolina's Outer Banks.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
-
But another driver behind it is some of the infrastructure that has been in place for decades, installed long before concerns about climate change and 1,000 year storms were more commonplace.—
Laura Schulte,
jsonline.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Earthquake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earthquake. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share