as in earthquake
a shaking of the earth
the quake registered 6.5 on the Richter scale, causing widespread damage
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to shake
to make a series of small irregular or violent movements
the horror film was so scary it left us quaking with fear for hours afterwards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of quake
Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
Fernando, who normally studies quakes on the moon and Mars, teamed up with Imperial College London’s Constantinos Charalambous the day after the Chinese debris streaked across the California sky in 2024.
—Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2025
The defensive star’s recent trade from Dallas to Green Bay quaked the NFL.
—Greg Cote
september 4, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quake
Noun
Jones says that this most recent set of quakes could be foreshocks for a much larger event.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
Fernando, who normally studies quakes on the moon and Mars, teamed up with Imperial College London’s Constantinos Charalambous the day after the Chinese debris streaked across the California sky in 2024.
—Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Verb
The agitated, ominous vibration of giant power lines and quaking transmission towers feels like a Greek chorus throughout Paul Greengrass’s intense new wildfire thriller, The Lost Bus.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2025
The defensive star’s recent trade from Dallas to Green Bay quaked the NFL.
—Greg Cote
september 4, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quake
Noun
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It is estimated that there are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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At an event in Little Haiti’s Caribbean Marketplace in early January to commemorate the 16th anniversary of the earthquake that struck Haiti, a long roster of local leaders, politicians and activists spoke to the crowded room.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This should have people across the country absolutely shook.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Jan. 2026
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The officer in the black beanie appears to shake a pepper spray canister toward protesters.—
Yahya Abou-Ghazala,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In addition to tremors emanating from within the planet, these sensors detect explosions, traffic vibrations and even the vocalizations made by whales in the oceans.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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For reasons still not wholly understood, these ultradense objects—each about the mass of our star squeezed into a bizarre, city-sized ball of degenerate quantum matter—undergo starquakes in which the material on the surface shifts a bit like in an earthly tremor.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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No one spoke until Chuky shuddered his head and this time without laughing said, Shit, that’s crazy.—
Jonathan Miles,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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Williams thinks enough of himself to be himself, to keep his nails painted, to mimic crowning himself like LeBron James after big plays at USC, to graduate to his current too-cool-for-you celebratory shudder; the Iceman cometh, the Iceman runneth over.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Aisha jerked and opened her eyes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
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That jerking motion, combined with detergent and water, loosens dirt from the surfaces of clothing.—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
27 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The kind of person who trembles at watermarks is not the sort of person who dares to put marble in the dishwasher.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
16 Oct. 2025
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The Maine trembled and angled up, then listed to port, throwing him from his chair.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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From vibrating steering wheels, haptic smartwatches, and even gaming controllers.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Jan. 2026
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The vibrating bristles of this electric version can break up and sweep away plaque more effectively.—
Nicol Natale,
PEOPLE,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Few things shake the confidence of a person like crawling to the top bunk of a quivering bed frame, your feet wrapping uncomfortably along the frail metal rungs of the ladder.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
27 Jan. 2026
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Over the years, Andrews has garnered comparisons to fellow Arizona native Linda Ronstadt for her rich, clear tone, which can modulate from quivering vibrato to crystalline belt on a dime.—
Lily Goldberg,
Pitchfork,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quake. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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