zero in on

verb

zeroed in on; zeroing in on; zeroes in on

1

: to direct all of one's attention to (someone or something)

Scientists are hoping to zero in on a cure.

2

: to aim something (such as a gun or camera) directly at (someone or something)

The gunner zeroed in on the target.

Examples of zero in on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Songwriters on Process Songwriters on Process zeroes in on the writing more than the song, understandable given its host, Ben Opipari, holds a PhD in English language and literature. — Lily Moayeri, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2026

But then the story stalls, zeroes in on some incidental detail, and collapses into a mode of reflection that is circular and recursive. — Meghan O’Gieblyn, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026

The second stage is common to all variants, consisting of a common airframe, avionics, software, flight control system, and swappable sensors for zeroing in on targets and destroying them. — New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026

The night before, Teoscar Hernández had zeroed in on the Dodgers’ at-bats with runners in scoring position in his postgame comments. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for zero in on

• agamemnon
• automaton
• diencephalon
• panopticon
• phenomenon
• aileron
• antiphon
• autobahn
• carillon
• castellan
• celadon
• cephalon