i Register
In some senses, earthquake is marked as figuratively. Watch for register when choosing this word.
ADJ
big, great, huge, major, massive, severe | minor, small
EARTHQUAKE + VERB
happen, hit sth, occur, strike (sth)
A powerful earthquake struck the region last week, causing damage to many buildings.
shake sth
The powerful earthquake shook the entire city and frightened thousands of people in their homes.
destroy sth, devastate sth, kill sb, leave sb homeless
measure sth
The earthquake that struck the city yesterday measured 6.2 on the Richter scale.
EARTHQUAKE + NOUN
zone
PREP
in a/the ~
Many people lost their homes in the earthquake that struck the region last year.
PHRASES
the epicentre of an earthquake, the magnitude of an earthquake