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
Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Seismic activity in the area is limited, but USGS data show similar quakes have occurred within 5 to 10 miles over time.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Those Apollo-era seismometers revealed that the moon is surprisingly active, recording thousands of quakes between 1969 and 1977 — but the tools were heavy, expensive and limited in reach.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 24 Mar. 2026
The most likely hours for these quakes are late night through sunrise, which is typically the coldest time each day.
—Tammie Souza, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
The San Ramon Valley has a history of earthquake swarms, when small quakes repeatedly strike the same region.
—Sarah Ravani, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Feb. 2026
Ice quakes take place in glaciers or in lake ice.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
But after several weeks, the quakes dropped off.
—Quanta Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
Seismic activity in the area is limited, but USGS data show similar quakes have occurred within 5 to 10 miles over time.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 25 Mar. 2026
Those Apollo-era seismometers revealed that the moon is surprisingly active, recording thousands of quakes between 1969 and 1977 — but the tools were heavy, expensive and limited in reach.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 24 Mar. 2026
The most likely hours for these quakes are late night through sunrise, which is typically the coldest time each day.
—Tammie Souza, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
The San Ramon Valley has a history of earthquake swarms, when small quakes repeatedly strike the same region.
—Sarah Ravani, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Feb. 2026
Ice quakes take place in glaciers or in lake ice.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 27 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,
4 Apr. 2026
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The book gives us fresh and fascinating insight into a woman whose study of the waves from earthquakes led to a new understanding of what lies at the very center of our planet.—
Carol Sutton Lewis,
Scientific American,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hayden, working the grill behind her husband, laughs and shakes her head with a slight eye roll the way only a loving wife can.—
Matthew Odam,
Austin American Statesman,
2 Apr. 2026
-
In the process, the capsule shakes pretty aggressively.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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By the time symptoms first appear, the majority of these cells are lost forever, meaning the disease can progress for years before any of the telltale physical symptoms emerge—tremors, stiffness and slowness of movement, among others.—
Todd Weissman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2026
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Until recently, scientists could only manually read through graphs of seismic recordings to pick out tremors, then use the data to trace the movements of magma that caused them.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
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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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
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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
Verb
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Basically, how fast a sound source vibrates.—
Laura Kiniry,
Popular Science,
25 Mar. 2026
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There's real grit underneath the shag haircut and thigh-high boots, though; see the discotheque scene, where her entire body vibrates with a desperate mix of hope, terror, and determination.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Risk factors for cardiac arrest A frequent trigger is rhythm disturbance—especially ventricular fibrillation—in which the heart quivers instead of beating effectively.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The music of home often quivers with nostalgia.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Quakes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quakes. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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