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
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Recent Examples of quakes
Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 27 Jan. 2026
And since the swarm began in November, the mini-quakes have caused no damage or injuries, San Ramon Mayor Mark Armstrong said Monday.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 26 Jan. 2026
According to AccuWeather, frost quakes, also sometimes called icequakes, are seismic events caused by a sudden cracking action in frozen soil or rock saturated with water or ice.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Frost quakes are known to commonly occur in Alaska, Canada, the northeastern United States and Iceland, according to AccuWeather.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 23 Jan. 2026
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
Also, many of the quakes may be around the same magnitude, geologists said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 11 Jan. 2026
Noun
Frost quakes occur when the ground rapidly freezes and expands, creating a loud booming sound and sometimes minor, localized shaking.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 27 Jan. 2026
And since the swarm began in November, the mini-quakes have caused no damage or injuries, San Ramon Mayor Mark Armstrong said Monday.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 26 Jan. 2026
According to AccuWeather, frost quakes, also sometimes called icequakes, are seismic events caused by a sudden cracking action in frozen soil or rock saturated with water or ice.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Frost quakes are known to commonly occur in Alaska, Canada, the northeastern United States and Iceland, according to AccuWeather.
—Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 23 Jan. 2026
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
Also, many of the quakes may be around the same magnitude, geologists said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 11 Jan. 2026
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,
23 Jan. 2026
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That includes against flood, fire and even earthquakes.—
Diana Olick,
CNBC,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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White Lotus fans are used to seeing Patrick Schwarzenegger reveling in a luxurious island vacation at Thailand’s Four Seasons Koh Samui, with protein shakes in hand, of course.—
Rachel Chang,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Jan. 2026
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Nix shakes hands with Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen at the end of Saturday's game.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
18 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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Formed in England in the mid-1600s, the Religious Society of Friends became known for the tremors and convulsions that would overtake its members during prayer.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The mind shudders at the thought.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Jan. 2026
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So one shudders to think what might happen when the Dolphins now face a murderer’s row of elite running backs and mobile quarterbacks.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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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
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The video suddenly jerks away as the vehicle starts to move and shots can be heard.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The former allows the player to set beats-per-minute, beats per bar, select different rhythms and whether a sound beeps and/or the device vibrates to the beat.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
9 Jan. 2026
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The red vibrates off the page in such a pleasing way.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
11 Dec. 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 30 Jan. 2026.
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