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

At ground zero, relatives shared enduring grief and final phone calls, while organizers added a tribute for thousands sickened or killed by toxic dust long after the towers fell. — Jennifer Peltz, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Feal founded the FealGood Foundation to help ground zero workers receive assistance, spread awareness and advocate, including lobbying members of Congress. — ABC News, 11 Sep. 2026

More than 2,000 miles from ground zero, thousands of flags were planted into West Sacramento soil to help sow the seeds of remembrance for the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center. — Ashley Sharp, CBS News, 10 Sep. 2026

This comes after several school districts including the Sarasota County School Board, once ground zero for culture war issue disputes, are likely to experience a shift in political leaning come the general election. — Trinity Webster-Bass, Miami Herald, 3 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