as in earthquakes
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 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
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Recent Examples of quakes
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
But after several weeks, the quakes dropped off.
—Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Seismic activity in the area is limited, but USGS data show similar quakes have occurred within 5 to 10 miles over time.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Those Apollo-era seismometers revealed that the moon is surprisingly active, recording thousands of quakes between 1969 and 1977 — but the tools were heavy, expensive and limited in reach.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Noun
Part of the problem is that many of the subtle land formations scientists need to study to uncover evidence of past quakes have already been built over.
—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
But after several weeks, the quakes dropped off.
—Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Seismic activity in the area is limited, but USGS data show similar quakes have occurred within 5 to 10 miles over time.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Those Apollo-era seismometers revealed that the moon is surprisingly active, recording thousands of quakes between 1969 and 1977 — but the tools were heavy, expensive and limited in reach.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quakes
Noun
-
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
-
As part of this work, hundreds of seismometers, as well as networks of fiber-optic cables, will be used to record even the tiniest of earthquakes, during periods of tranquility and unrest.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
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
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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
-
Everytime one goes by, the car shudders.—
Leon Hale,
Houston Chronicle,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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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 14 May. 2026.
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