1
as in quake
a shaking of the earth
the San Andreas Fault is notorious for its earthquakes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of earthquake
The impact of a magnitude earthquake in the 6.1 to 6.9 range is possible damage in heavily populated areas, per Michigan Technological University.
—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
Most earthquakes do not produce surface rupture, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
The original flag was lost in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fires.
—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
12 June 2026
Three earthquakes greater than magnitude 7 have shaken up Southern California in the last three decades: the magnitude 7.1 Hector Mine earthquake of 1999, the 2010 magnitude 7.2 Easter Sunday Baja California Sierra El Mayor earthquake and the magnitude 7.1 Ridgecrest earthquake of 2019.
—
Shelby Grad,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for earthquake
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
Most earthquakes do not produce surface rupture, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
The original flag was lost in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fires.
—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
12 June 2026
Three earthquakes greater than magnitude 7 have shaken up Southern California in the last three decades: the magnitude 7.1 Hector Mine earthquake of 1999, the 2010 magnitude 7.2 Easter Sunday Baja California Sierra El Mayor earthquake and the magnitude 7.1 Ridgecrest earthquake of 2019.
—
Shelby Grad,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for earthquake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earthquake
Noun
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Several residents reported experiencing the quake in and around the Ridgecrest area according to the USGS DYFI report.
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Now, researchers report that such a quake could be more widespread and damaging than previously thought.
Noun
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The federal government accelerated efforts to subdue resistance, bringing years of hardship and upheaval for Native Americans.
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The two respond to the upheaval in different ways, one embracing a new lease on life, the other feeling unmoored and disoriented.
Noun
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Are the foundations laid in 1776 and 1789 still strong enough and sound enough to resist the tremors of our times?
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The tremor appeared to be centered near Bel Air in Harford County, an area not known for frequent seismic activity.
Noun
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Haiti also did it without playing a single qualifying match in Haiti because of unrest.
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Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party retained its large parliamentary majority in recent elections overshadowed by unrest in Africa’s second-most-populous country.
Noun
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Shares have jumped 80% in the year to date as an ongoing memory supply crunch accelerates the adoption of lithography equipment for the production of semiconductors required to power the AI revolution.
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Haitian soldiers seasoned on American battlefields during the revolution later sparked Haiti’s overthrow of French colonial rule, depriving France of its most profitable slave colony and ending one of the most brutal enslavement of human beings in modern world history.
Noun
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The probability of lightning strikes rises as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is directly above.
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The camp did not timely evacuate in advance of the July 3-4, 2025, storm, despite ample opportunity to do so.
Cite this Entry
“Earthquake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earthquake. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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