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
Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Seismic waves lose energy slowly on the moon, so quakes can last for hours, shaking structures much longer.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2025
There’s a breathless mood in the air that quivers and quakes at the protests to come.
—Sara Stridsberg
september 15, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
Charlotte is about 140 miles east of Rosman, which saw three quakes over four days in August, McClatchy News previously reported.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
The Philippines sits along the seismically active Philippine Sea Plate, which has produced some of the world’s deadliest quakes and tsunamis, including the 1976 Moro Gulf disaster that killed more than 5,000 people and the 1990 Luzon earthquake that left 2,400 dead.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Seismic waves lose energy slowly on the moon, so quakes can last for hours, shaking structures much longer.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2025
There’s a breathless mood in the air that quivers and quakes at the protests to come.
—Sara Stridsberg
september 15, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
Charlotte is about 140 miles east of Rosman, which saw three quakes over four days in August, McClatchy News previously reported.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 13 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quakes
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,
4 Oct. 2025
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Like Squid Game, the final scene brings us to Los Angeles, where two bros discuss sports at a bar, as a story about the earthquakes plays on the news.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The work captures life between Mount Vesuvius and the Gulf of Naples, where the ground shakes periodically and the fumaroles of the Phlegraean Fields taint the air.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
3 Oct. 2025
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The roar starts before the lights go down — a low, collective thunder that shakes the arena floor.—
Crystal Bell,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Search efforts were further complicated after an earthquake struck the region of Sumenep, about 124 miles from the collapse site on Tuesday, and authorities feared the impact of those tremors may have packed the debris tighter.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
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More than half saw better control of their tremors.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Designer Joe Nahem of the esteemed firm Fox-Nahem was then brought in to merge the two spaces into one wildly creative space that vibrates with color, pattern, and texture.—
Mark David,
Robb Report,
1 Oct. 2025
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Each of the three biographies—any good biography—vibrates with the intensity of its author’s possession by their subject and the thrill of exhumation, if only metaphoric.—
Megan Marshall
September 25,
Literary Hub,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The music of home often quivers with nostalgia.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
22 Sep. 2025
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There’s a breathless mood in the air that quivers and quakes at the protests to come.—
Sara Stridsberg
September 15,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quakes. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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