earthquake
noun
earth·quake
ˈərth-ˌkwāk 
1
: a shaking or trembling of the earth that is volcanic or tectonic in origin
2
Examples of earthquake in a Sentence
a building destroyed by earthquake
the San Andreas Fault is notorious for its earthquakes
Recent Examples on the Web
On Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, a flurry of small earthquakes shook the Iliamna volcano on June 15.
—
Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 14 July 2025
While much of America has moved past COVID-19, the pandemic that hit the industry like an earthquake continues to experience aftershocks.
—Alexander Coolidge, The Enquirer, 13 July 2025
Situated along the Aegean coast of Thessaly province, the industrial city is a grindingly monotonous patchwork of concrete block buildings; everything of historical interest was leveled during a series of devastating earthquakes in the 1950s.
—Derek Sandhaus, Saveur, 10 July 2025
Some of the earthquakes were too small to even locate.
—Sarah Lynch Baldwin
july 9, CBS News, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for earthquake
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Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 14 July 2025
While much of America has moved past COVID-19, the pandemic that hit the industry like an earthquake continues to experience aftershocks.
—Alexander Coolidge, The Enquirer, 13 July 2025
Situated along the Aegean coast of Thessaly province, the industrial city is a grindingly monotonous patchwork of concrete block buildings; everything of historical interest was leveled during a series of devastating earthquakes in the 1950s.
—Derek Sandhaus, Saveur, 10 July 2025
Some of the earthquakes were too small to even locate.
—Sarah Lynch Baldwin
july 9, CBS News, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for earthquake
Cite this Entry
“Earthquake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earthquake. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
earthquake
noun
earth·quake
ˈərth-ˌkwāk
: a shaking or trembling of a portion of the earth
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