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

Tarrant County is ground zero for a blue wave in Texas, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa said at a Tuesday night get-out-the-vote rally in Lake Worth. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Oct. 2026

Others were dismayed when, in 2008, Hellerstein ended an effort to force New York City government to keep searching for human remains in debris moved from ground zero to a Staten Island landfill. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026

The Lone Star State is ground zero for this supposed great political de-alignment. — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

The result is a story about how Georgia became ground zero in America’s struggle over election trust, and why that fight is still shaping the future of voting. — Ajc Communications, AJC.com, 22 Oct. 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