earthquakes

noun

plural of earthquake
1
as in quakes
a shaking of the earth the San Andreas Fault is notorious for its earthquakes

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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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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 earthquakes The disaster market — when real estate speculators scoop up properties in the wake of a disaster — happens quite often in Southern California, a region battered by fires, earthquakes, landslides and floods. — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026 Some residents near the launch facilities have long expressed worries about disruptive sonic booms — which can be as loud as gunshots and register as small earthquakes — and collectively filed a lawsuit this year. — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026 David Ryder | Reuters The typical homeowners insurance policy excludes or limits coverage for damage from certain disasters, such as earthquakes, landslides and floods, according to insurance experts. — Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2026 By 1926, Caltech was running the Seismo Lab with the Carnegie Institution, where seismologists like Beno Gutenberg and Charles Richter would deepen our understanding of earthquakes. — Danny Robb, JSTOR Daily, 25 Sep. 2026 The country is also recovering from devastating back-to-back earthquakes in June that have so far killed over 6,000 people. — Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earthquakes
  1. quakes
  2. upheavals
  3. tremors
  4. revolutions
Noun
  • Addressing current risks Experts have warned of the possibility of major quakes in the coming decades and, although their specific timing and locations cannot be predicted, officials want people to be prepared.
    — Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
  • China is no stranger to powerful quakes, especially in southwestern parts of the country where the Eurasian tectonic plate meets the Indian plate, a dramatic collision that creates the mighty Himalayas and the vast Tibetan plateau.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of quakes
Noun
  • Against encroaching social upheavals, the sovereign was resolutely the center of a mercantilist universe.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The underlying motivation for African policymakers is to untether their economies from commodity cycles and, by extension, the upheavals that come with them.
    — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of upheavals
Noun
  • One of his sisters, María Yailén, 15, survived the tremors, but the other, Mariangel, 12, did not.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • That said, along with its use by astronauts, the technology is also aimed at people such as those with Parkinson’s disease, whose hand tremors currently make traditional eyedrop application nearly impossible.
    — Ben Coxworth October 23, New Atlas, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of tremors
Noun
  • Their palms, pressed in turmeric, became a blur of orange as their revolutions increased in speed and the curtain rose.
    — Keith McDermott, Vanity Fair, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Major technology revolutions have always triggered dramatic boom-bust cycles.
    — RUCHIR SHARMA, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of revolutions

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Cite this Entry

“Earthquakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earthquakes. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

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