as in earthquakes
a shaking of the earth
the quake registered 6.5 on the Richter scale, causing widespread damage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in shakes
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
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 quakes
Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 11 May 2026
Earlier in the week, a pair of quakes rattled the same area.
—Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 8 May 2026
The threat of quakes causing landslides in lake areas isn’t just theoretical.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
By detecting more than 18,000 additional quakes, scientists were able to better understand what had occurred, and where, beneath São Jorge.
—Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2026
That makes for five minor quakes since Easter Sunday, all centered in a region where earthquakes have been uncommon in the past 26 years.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 17 Apr. 2026
And even in their weight these buildings are even, equal configurations in their overall size and width, with pillars that were built for the floods or for the quakes.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
The region is highly seismically active, and quakes have caused thousands of deaths in recent years.
—ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
Many of the more subtle quakes, buried in background noise, were invisible to human eyes.
—Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Noun
People may be noticing quakes that seem to fit this pattern and forgetting about the ones that don’t, Cal Poly Pomona said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 11 May 2026
Earlier in the week, a pair of quakes rattled the same area.
—Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 8 May 2026
The threat of quakes causing landslides in lake areas isn’t just theoretical.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
By detecting more than 18,000 additional quakes, scientists were able to better understand what had occurred, and where, beneath São Jorge.
—Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2026
That makes for five minor quakes since Easter Sunday, all centered in a region where earthquakes have been uncommon in the past 26 years.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 17 Apr. 2026
And even in their weight these buildings are even, equal configurations in their overall size and width, with pillars that were built for the floods or for the quakes.
—Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
The region is highly seismically active, and quakes have caused thousands of deaths in recent years.
—ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
Many of the more subtle quakes, buried in background noise, were invisible to human eyes.
—Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quakes
Noun
-
It is estimated that there are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
-
The administration says the project is necessary to protect water deliveries for 27 million Californians and roughly 750,000 acres of farmland while improving reliability during earthquakes and extreme storm systems.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Her daytime meals are pretty consistent and include yogurts, protein bars, protein shakes and protein pasta.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) shakes hands with visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi in Beijing, China, May 6, 2026.—
May 6,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
As of the morning of Monday, May 11, there have been 411 tremors recorded in this swarm, the Southern California Seismic Network reported.—
Paris Barraza,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
Memories of those days, among the most vivid of my early life, still evoke tremors in the bottom of my stomach.—
Fran Moreland Johns,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Nothing much really happens in this movie after Philip’s initial arrest, but the world viscerally shudders under Lucy’s feet every time one of her husband’s alibis falls apart.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
15 May 2026
-
Hotels used in talks last week have already asked patrons leave as the country shudders into another quasi-lockdown.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In a viral video of the aftermath, the robot jerks back and forth to shake the glass off, showering yet more dangerous shards onto the sidewalk.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Ross’s video does not show if the SUV made contact with him, as the camera angle jerks up to the sky.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Every night the Dallas Stars host playoff games, the area in and around the American Airlines Center vibrates with activity, commerce and life.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Inside, standing 43 inches tall, a silver speaker from Takahiro Miyashita’s brand TheSoloist vibrates high fidelity through the showroom.—
Samantha Lee
Connect
April 17,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Risk factors for cardiac arrest A frequent trigger is rhythm disturbance—especially ventricular fibrillation—in which the heart quivers instead of beating effectively.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The music of home often quivers with nostalgia.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quakes. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
