as in major
having great meaning or lasting effect
earthshaking news—the President has been assassinated
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Recent Examples of earthshaking
It also should be said that the $85 million value of the missing parts matches the price to procure one F-35A fighter—obviously an important sum, but not an earthshaking loss.
—
Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 8 June 2023
Overall length is down 0.8 inch; that's as earthshaking as the differences get.
—Patrick Bedard, Car and Driver, 1 June 2023
Other nominees included Mary J. Blige, who gave an earthshaking performance during the main broadcast, PJ Morton, and Lucky Daye.
—Jonah Valdezstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2023
The convergence is a reminder of just how earthshaking #MeToo was for Hollywood.
—Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 24 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for earthshaking
Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 8 June 2023
Overall length is down 0.8 inch; that's as earthshaking as the differences get.
—Patrick Bedard, Car and Driver, 1 June 2023
Other nominees included Mary J. Blige, who gave an earthshaking performance during the main broadcast, PJ Morton, and Lucky Daye.
—Jonah Valdezstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2023
The convergence is a reminder of just how earthshaking #MeToo was for Hollywood.
—Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 24 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for earthshaking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earthshaking
Adjective
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Cloudflare executives added that the company is hoping to avoid further major layoffs.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
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Even in the absence of major unemployment shocks, inequality will likely increase as returns to capital exponentially outstrip those to labor.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Purrazzo stressed how important giving back to military veterans was to her in an interview with Fox News Digital earlier this week, especially as a military wife.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
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But while the headline figure of peak speed is a head-turner, the more important goal is high sustained speed.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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The week the book was published, WGA members were voting to ratify a new contract that includes a bailout of the union’s ailing health fund and significant increases in health insurance costs.—
Gene Maddaus,
Variety,
4 May 2026
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Trump and his backers lost dozens of lawsuits claiming fraud, and numerous recounts, reviews and audits of the election results turned up no signs of significant wrongdoing or error.—
Michael R. Sisak,
Los Angeles Times,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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Areas affected by historic buildings are mostly in the city’s urban core.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
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The game started with a historic first quarter in which the home team scored 36 points, which marked the franchise’s highest-scoring first quarter since 2023, per the team.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
Adjective
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The big man, who won the 2016 NBA Championship as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, previously had his younger sibling under a guardianship, according to TMZ.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
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The one big missing piece was seeing her team finally capture an elusive state championship.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Earthshaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earthshaking. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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