1
as in quakes
a shaking of the earth
the San Andreas Fault is notorious for its earthquakes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in upheavals
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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Recent Examples of earthquakes
It is estimated that there are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year.
—
Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 12 Sep. 2025
In July, a geologist warned that an ongoing cluster of smaller earthquakes near the Nicobar Islands could signal a volcanic eruption in the Andaman Sea, which raises fears of another tsunami.
—M. Rajshekhar, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
However, large earthquakes can strike on active faults thousands of years apart.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
The Plowshare Project dreamt up idealistic, peacetime applications, such as reversing the course of rivers, triggering small earthquakes to prevent large ones from forming, flooding desserts, and, above all, snaking out a Central American canal with fewer vulnerabilities.
—Shoshi Parks, Popular Science, 14 Aug. 2025
Methane flux in these environments changes with earthquakes, currents, and seasonal cycles; a single measurement won’t reveal the full pattern.
—Ingmar Rentzhog, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
The National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia, also received reports of what felt like earthquakes, but was most likely sonic booms, a quick, thunder-like sound that is created when aircraft, like rockets and planes, go faster than the speed of sound.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
This can include floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, among other weather events, and opens the door to a wide range of federal assistance programs.
—Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Turkey sits on major fault lines, making earthquakes frequent throughout the country.
—Hollie Silverman
adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Aug. 2025
Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 12 Sep. 2025
In July, a geologist warned that an ongoing cluster of smaller earthquakes near the Nicobar Islands could signal a volcanic eruption in the Andaman Sea, which raises fears of another tsunami.
—M. Rajshekhar, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
However, large earthquakes can strike on active faults thousands of years apart.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
The Plowshare Project dreamt up idealistic, peacetime applications, such as reversing the course of rivers, triggering small earthquakes to prevent large ones from forming, flooding desserts, and, above all, snaking out a Central American canal with fewer vulnerabilities.
—Shoshi Parks, Popular Science, 14 Aug. 2025
Methane flux in these environments changes with earthquakes, currents, and seasonal cycles; a single measurement won’t reveal the full pattern.
—Ingmar Rentzhog, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
The National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia, also received reports of what felt like earthquakes, but was most likely sonic booms, a quick, thunder-like sound that is created when aircraft, like rockets and planes, go faster than the speed of sound.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025
This can include floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, among other weather events, and opens the door to a wide range of federal assistance programs.
—Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Turkey sits on major fault lines, making earthquakes frequent throughout the country.
—Hollie Silverman
adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earthquakes
Noun
-
The quakes were recorded approximately 102 miles west-southwest of Port Orford, Oregon.—
Shane Croucher
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The two initial quakes flattened villages in both provinces, destroying more than 6,700 homes, and rescue workers pulled bodies from the rubble on Thursday.—
Mohammad Yunus Yawar,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In an alternate timeline without COVID-19 and the cultural upheavals of 2020, Bennet might be the executive editor of The New York Times.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The United States and South Korea previously butted heads over how to handle the threat from North Korea, and there have been periodic public upheavals in Korean public opinion over tragic incidents involving American troops stationed on the peninsula.—
KURT M. CAMPBELL,
Foreign Affairs,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The quake hit at a depth of about 7 miles and was centered roughly 40 miles southeast of Athens, where tremors were felt but no immediate damage or injuries were reported.—
Shane Croucher
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Daniel now lives with essential tremors, a condition that causes involuntary shaking of the head and hands.—
Bill Schiffmiller,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But history shows that technological revolutions tend to transform roles rather than simply eliminate them.—
Thanh Pham,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Interestingly, it was found spinning at 100 revolutions per second.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Earthquakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earthquakes. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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