hypocenter
noun
hy·po·cen·ter
ˈhī-pə-ˌsen-tər 
1
: the focus of an earthquake compare epicenter sense 1
2
: the point on the earth's surface directly below the center of a nuclear bomb explosion
Examples of hypocenter in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At the speed of light, a trillion of them passed through those near the bomb’s hypocenter.
—
R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
This created a fireball that bathed everything within about a two kilometer radius of the hypocenter in about 3–4,000℃ heat.
—Kevin Dickinson, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
Near the hypocenter, where the bomb detonated about 2,000 feet above, is a peace memorial park and museum that includes the iconic atomic dome.
—Mai Nishiyama, NBC news, 6 Aug. 2025
Hours before the official ceremony, as the sun rose over Hiroshima, survivors and their families started paying tribute to the victims at the Peace Memorial Park, near the hypocenter of the nuclear blast 80 years ago.
—Mari Yamaguchi, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
The hibakusha testimonies were labelled by city, gender, and distance from the hypocenter.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
When an earthquake happens, seismic waves spread from the hypocenter in all directions, traveling through Earth.
—David Bressan, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
The hypocenter – the specific spot beneath the earth’s surface where an earthquake originates, also known as the focus – was at a depth of 4.7 kilometers (2.9 miles), according to the USGS.
—Joedy McCreary, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
Each station captures data about how much the earth moves and vibrates during a temblor and how much energy moves out from the hypocenter, or the site of an earthquake under the planet's surface.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024
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R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
This created a fireball that bathed everything within about a two kilometer radius of the hypocenter in about 3–4,000℃ heat.
—Kevin Dickinson, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
Near the hypocenter, where the bomb detonated about 2,000 feet above, is a peace memorial park and museum that includes the iconic atomic dome.
—Mai Nishiyama, NBC news, 6 Aug. 2025
Hours before the official ceremony, as the sun rose over Hiroshima, survivors and their families started paying tribute to the victims at the Peace Memorial Park, near the hypocenter of the nuclear blast 80 years ago.
—Mari Yamaguchi, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025
The hibakusha testimonies were labelled by city, gender, and distance from the hypocenter.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
When an earthquake happens, seismic waves spread from the hypocenter in all directions, traveling through Earth.
—David Bressan, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
The hypocenter – the specific spot beneath the earth’s surface where an earthquake originates, also known as the focus – was at a depth of 4.7 kilometers (2.9 miles), according to the USGS.
—Joedy McCreary, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
Each station captures data about how much the earth moves and vibrates during a temblor and how much energy moves out from the hypocenter, or the site of an earthquake under the planet's surface.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Hypocenter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypocenter. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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