Meaning & use
Aftershock
Last updated
A smaller earthquake that follows a larger one in the same area.
See it in a sentence
Residents braced for aftershocks in the days following the massive quake.
The scandal's aftershocks were felt throughout the company for months.
A note on using this word
Aftershocks occur because the crust surrounding a fault needs time to adjust to the new stress distribution caused by the main earthquake.
Words with a similar meaning
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Another way to use it
2. noun
A later, usually lesser, effect or consequence of a significant event.
The company was still dealing with the financial aftershocks of the merger a year later.
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