ground zero
noun
1
: the point directly above, below, or at which a nuclear explosion occurs
2
: the center or origin of rapid, intense, or violent activity or change
broadly
: center sense 2a
the party town that served as ground zero for those corporate … bashes —
Rich Eisen
Rich Eisen 3
: the very beginning : square one
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
This offseason is like another reset, a return to ground zero.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Network media like The Washington Post and CBS News have found themselves at ground zero of Trump's firestorm, but on opposing sides.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
Here, the film suggests, became ground zero for the lifelong loneliness Perry seemingly experienced, which may have led to his long and well-publicized battles with drugs and alcohol that ultimately led to his death in October 2023.
—Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Feb. 2025
For 30 years, Hal’s Bar and Grill was ground zero for a burgeoning Venice scene on the street that in 1990 was renamed from West Washington to Abbot Kinney Boulevard.
—Brad Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ground zero
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Matt Barrows, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Network media like The Washington Post and CBS News have found themselves at ground zero of Trump's firestorm, but on opposing sides.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
Here, the film suggests, became ground zero for the lifelong loneliness Perry seemingly experienced, which may have led to his long and well-publicized battles with drugs and alcohol that ultimately led to his death in October 2023.
—Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Feb. 2025
For 30 years, Hal’s Bar and Grill was ground zero for a burgeoning Venice scene on the street that in 1990 was renamed from West Washington to Abbot Kinney Boulevard.
—Brad Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ground zero
Cite this Entry
“Ground zero.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ground%20zero. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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