as in earthquake
a shaking of the earth the quake registered 6.5 on the Richter scale, causing widespread damage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to shake
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 quake
Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026 The quake was felt as far away as San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose in the Bay Area. —Jason Green, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026 The jiggly, quaking contraption is eye-catching—a natural social media star. —Julia Sullivan, Outside, 23 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for quake
Noun
Japan’s northern coast hit In a statement, JMA reported that the quake’s epicenter was located 62 miles (100 kilometers) east of the city of Miyako, off the Sanriku coast, at a depth of six miles (10 kilometers). —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026 The quake was felt as far away as San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose in the Bay Area. —Jason Green, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
For those communities quaking in terror, simply waiting three years for a new president is not sufficient. —Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026 The jiggly, quaking contraption is eye-catching—a natural social media star. —Julia Sullivan, Outside, 23 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for quake
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quake
Noun
-
The impact of the explosion was so severe that homes nearby were damaged, while local residents thought the explosion was an earthquake, per the BBC.— Staff Author, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
-
Japan has restarted 15 reactors after reviewing the lessons of the earthquake and tsunami that damaged the Fukushima plant, and 10 more are in the process of getting approval to restart.— Vladimir Isachenkov, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The situation is also an opportunity for NASA to resume the kind of risk-taking that has been lacking to shake the agency out of a post-space-shuttle lethargy and to reignite passions for reaching a stretch goal under deadline pressure.— Thomas Black, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
-
The front car of the train appeared to jump the track, leaving passengers shaken.— Todd Feurer, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Some rigidity remains, and when the stimulation is turned off, the tremor returns within seconds.— Ted Scouten, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
-
Reports revealed tremors were also felt across a wide area, including in the capital Tokyo, hundreds of miles to the south.— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
But unless you currently are embroiled in the planning or, shudder, the paying for one, its latest theatrical production will, Chris Jones fears, be less than engrossing.— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The plane jerked to a stop as two trucks passed just feet in front of its nose.— Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
This level of exercise includes shoulder stabilization through a downward dog series, the core engaged in boat pose, and legs that work hard enough to tremble during chair pose.— William Jones, Ascend Agency, 13 Apr. 2026
-
The kind of person who trembles at watermarks is not the sort of person who’s putting marble in the dishwasher.— Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Electrons vibrating in some container.— Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
-
The pilot of a helicopter that crashed on a sightseeing flight off the Hawaiian island of Kauai last month, killing three passengers, told investigators that the aircraft vibrated and spun before plunging into the water, according to report released Friday.— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the 1970s, James Lovelock proposed that the biosphere was not just green scruff quivering on Earth's surface.— Big Think, Big Think, 23 Apr. 2026
-
Plume-like cypress trees quiver along curvaceous paths, walled in rustic local sandstone and concrete.— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Quake.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/quake. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
