earthquake

noun

earth·​quake ˈərth-ˌkwāk How to pronounce earthquake (audio)
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
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.
Shocked by this week’s earthquake, zoo elephants formed an ‘alert circle’ to protect their young at San Diego Zoo Get ready for the L.A. Times Festival of Books Our annual book festival is next weekend! Alyssa Bereznak, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2025 Cuts to American aid under President Donald Trump have exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation — one which has reached catastrophic levels following a magnitude 7.7 earthquake on March 28. Emily Fishbein, Hpan Ja Brang, The Dial, 17 Apr. 2025 There are some unavoidable California-specific costs, like ensuring buildings are resilient to shaking from earthquakes. Jason Ward, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2025 There was more spice to the match-up between the pair after an awkward public falling out during an exhibition at Indian Wells in 2010 for the Haiti earthquake disaster. Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for earthquake

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of earthquake was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Earthquake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earthquake. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

earthquake

noun
earth·​quake ˈərth-ˌkwāk How to pronounce earthquake (audio)
: a shaking or trembling of a portion of the earth

More from Merriam-Webster on earthquake

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!