ground zero

noun

1

: the point directly above, below, or at which an explosion and especially a nuclear explosion occurs

2

: the center or origin of rapid, intense, or violent activity or change

Mingo Junction … sits at ground zero of the longest steelworker strike in American history.

—Michael Janofsky

broadly : center sense 2a

… the party town that served as ground zero for those corporate … bashes.

—Rich Eisen

3

: the very beginning : square one

We'll have to go back to ground zero and start over.

Synonyms of ground zero

• center
• capital
• hub
• mecca
• focus
• base
• nucleus
• core
• seat
• nerve center
• heart

Examples of ground zero in a Sentence

ground zero in the battle over immigration laws

a city that was once ground zero for the insurance industry

Recent Examples on the Web

The operation may now be down to 36 spots and deep dish may not be the preferred style of locals who like to be contrarian, but the Pizzeria Uno on Ohio Street remains ground zero for a Chicago cultural phenomenon. — Edward Robert McClelland, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026

In Europe, multiethnic capitals are pilloried by the far right as demographic time bombs, ground zero for invasions of unwanted foreigners. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026

Based on interviews with 10current and former Goddard workers, as well as several independent space policy experts, Goddard is ground zero for these sweeping changes. — Eric Niiler, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026

However, the effects were typically short-lived, occurring in the days and weeks after the explosion and confined to the area around ground zero, the test site. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ground zero

• subzero
• biro
• spiro
• superhero

Kids Definition

ground zero

noun

1

: the site of a nuclear explosion

2

: the center of rapid, intense, or violent activity or change

3

: the very beginning : square one