as in center
a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest
a city that was once ground zero for the insurance industry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of ground zero
Orange County has emerged as ground zero for fraud in the private-pay addiction treatment sphere — separate and distinct from the public programs, mind you — and the new law’s emphasis on housing and outside partnerships makes reformers nervous.
—
Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 11 June 2025
Newark airport has become ground zero for the issue through a confluence of events — events that haven’t actually happened at Newark airport.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2025
In Corpus Christi, Texas, which has been described as ground zero for Selena fandom, a bronze Selena statue has been recoated and the flowers at a Selena mural have been replaced to welcome fans ahead of the anniversary, according to Mario Gomez, a volunteer who takes care of Selena monuments.
—Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 29 Mar. 2025
Nvidia is ground zero in the U.S.-China tech rivalry — its GPUs might just be the most valuable components in the AI arms race, and its position is increasingly shaped by policy, not just engineering.
—Shannon Carroll, Quartz, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ground zero
Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 11 June 2025
Newark airport has become ground zero for the issue through a confluence of events — events that haven’t actually happened at Newark airport.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2025
In Corpus Christi, Texas, which has been described as ground zero for Selena fandom, a bronze Selena statue has been recoated and the flowers at a Selena mural have been replaced to welcome fans ahead of the anniversary, according to Mario Gomez, a volunteer who takes care of Selena monuments.
—Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 29 Mar. 2025
Nvidia is ground zero in the U.S.-China tech rivalry — its GPUs might just be the most valuable components in the AI arms race, and its position is increasingly shaped by policy, not just engineering.
—Shannon Carroll, Quartz, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ground zero
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ground zero
Noun
-
Dressmaker and activist Mary Dickerson (top row, center) inspires a character in HBO's The Gilded Age.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
Time,
8 July 2025
-
At the center of the bodice of her look was a keyhole cutout — a signature motif featured throughout several Schiaparelli designs dating back to the 1930s.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
The weekend session could be a make-or-break moment for Trump's party, which has invested much of its political capital on his signature domestic policy plan.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 June 2025
-
The weekend session could be a make-or-break moment for Trump’s party, which has invested much of its political capital on his signature domestic policy plan.—
Lisa Mascaro,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2025
Noun
-
The Southeast Queens hub opened in 2011 and would expand as part of its $5.5 billion proposal to add table games such as blackjack and poker, over 1,000 new hotel rooms, a 7,000-seat performance venue and more than 10 acres of public greenspace.—
Téa Kvetenadze,
New York Daily News,
28 June 2025
-
The California hub achieved a strong index score of 60.7, bolstered by a high rating of 84/100 on FlightRadar24.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
No place on earth draws more fanatics than Penang, the world’s mecca for durian lovers.—
Tom Downey,
Smithsonian Magazine,
26 June 2025
-
Indianapolis has become a mecca for those activities as the home of the Indy 500 and the Pacers (who came up just short of winning the NBA crown this year).—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
The focus will be lunch for daytime visitors, but there will be small plates designed to complement the maison’s cuvées through the early evening.—
Rachel King,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
-
The Marketing In the same vein, Raffles Hotels & Resorts is embracing its own part in the history of the Golden Age, but this time with a focus on services.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is following a similar path, opening a second headquarters in Leeds to be closer to the North’s growing health innovation base.—
Kath Mackay,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
The Airwrap Co-anda 2x is the first iteration with visible changes to its base.—
Jesa Marie Calaor,
Allure,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
Fusion is a process that takes light atomic nuclei and heats them to over 100 million degrees Celsius.—
Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,
CNBC,
30 June 2025
-
The scientists found that PDI, on the other hand, has the power to cross into the nucleus of a cell and repair damage, which would essentially extend the life and function of these very important microscopic systems.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
17 June 2025
Noun
-
History is also at the core of the third installation, which may be my favorite.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
28 June 2025
-
Despite Benfica’s determination to preserve the core of a potentially special team, Fernandez returned to Portugal with Chelsea hot in pursuit.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ground zero.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ground%20zero. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share