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
Synonyms
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
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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
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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
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.
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Kids Definition
ground zero
noun1
: 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
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ground zero
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