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
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 Inside the sport’s push to solve a formidable problem June 9, 2023 The attention has shifted to Santa Anita this week, which was ground zero for fatalities in 2019 when 37 horses died racing or training. John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2023 In some ways, Southern California’s San Bernardino County is ground zero for figuring that out. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2023 Subscribe Dear Hannah Prep, which has over 300,000 followers on TikTok, is ground zero for the recent rise in tween crop tops. Rory Satran, WSJ, 28 Oct. 2023 Judy Blume and is ground zero for Key West's literary scene. Tracey Minkin, Travel + Leisure, 27 Oct. 2023 At the start of the fentanyl epidemic, U.S. airport facilities were ground zero for fentanyl seizures. Anna Giaritelli, Washington Examiner, 24 Oct. 2023 The Supernova International Ska Festival at Fort Monroe, Virginia is ground zero for ska fans who come from all over the globe to attend the world’s largest ska festival. Heather Augustyn, Spin, 10 Oct. 2023 Tucked along the merge of Interstates 5 and 805, Sorrento Mesa and the valley below are San Diego’s ground zero in high tech. San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Oct. 2023 The structures are the Perelman Performing Arts Center at ground zero in Lower Manhattan, which opened last month, and the Lindemann Performing Arts Center at Brown University, which opens in Providence, R.I., on Oct. 19. Sam Lubell, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ground zero.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ground zero was in 1946

Dictionary Entries Near ground zero

Cite this Entry

“Ground zero.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ground%20zero. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on ground zero

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