quaked; quaking
1
: to shake or vibrate usually from shock or instability
2
: to tremble or shudder usually from cold or fear
: an instance of shaking or trembling (as of the earth or moon)
especially
: earthquake
Synonyms
Examples of quake in a Sentence
Verb
She was quaking with rage.
The explosion made the whole house quake.
Noun
the quake registered 6.5 on the Richter scale, causing widespread damage
Recent Examples on the Web
Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024
Morgan gazed around at the quaking cottonwood and sycamore leaves blocking out the sun there in the Chiricahuas, the tall Sky Island range in far southeastern Arizona whose year-round stream with picturesque cascades attracts migrating trogons and, in turn, trogon watchers each year.
—Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 22 Sep. 2024
Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2024
The quake was centered about 4 miles north of Malibu and was felt east across Los Angeles County, as far north as Bakersfield and south to San Diego, United States Geological Survey officials said.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 12 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for quake 
Verb
The album’s title track—easily one of the best pop songs of the twenty-tens—is a rich, lashing ode to being young and hot and quaking with desire.
—Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024
Morgan gazed around at the quaking cottonwood and sycamore leaves blocking out the sun there in the Chiricahuas, the tall Sky Island range in far southeastern Arizona whose year-round stream with picturesque cascades attracts migrating trogons and, in turn, trogon watchers each year.
—Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 22 Sep. 2024
Noun
The quakes hit as three large wildfires continue to burn in Southern California.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2024
The quake was centered about 4 miles north of Malibu and was felt east across Los Angeles County, as far north as Bakersfield and south to San Diego, United States Geological Survey officials said.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 12 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for quake
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quake.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Quake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quake. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
quake
1 of 2 verb
quaked; quaking
1
: to shake or vibrate usually from shock or lack of stability
2
: to tremble or shudder usually from cold or fear
quake
2 of 2 noun
: a shaking or trembling
especially
: earthquake
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