as in center
a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest
a city that was once ground zero for the insurance industry
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Recent Examples of ground zero
Assemblymember Heather Hadwick — a Republican who represents El Dorado, as well as Lake Tahoe, which is ground zero for bear problems — called conflicts with predators her district’s biggest issue.
—
Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
The next protest is scheduled for March 28 in the Twin Cities in Minnesota, which has become ground zero for the administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 29 Jan. 2026
Indeed, unless there is some inexplicable policy goal to get Americans to buy ladders, hammers, toilet seats, piles of bricks, washers, dryers, and garage doors online instead of at neighborhood stores, there is no reason why retailers need to become ground zero.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
My doctor failed to warn me how this simple test placed me at ground zero of a medical firestorm.
—Howard Wolinsky, STAT, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ground zero
Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
The next protest is scheduled for March 28 in the Twin Cities in Minnesota, which has become ground zero for the administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 29 Jan. 2026
Indeed, unless there is some inexplicable policy goal to get Americans to buy ladders, hammers, toilet seats, piles of bricks, washers, dryers, and garage doors online instead of at neighborhood stores, there is no reason why retailers need to become ground zero.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
My doctor failed to warn me how this simple test placed me at ground zero of a medical firestorm.
—Howard Wolinsky, STAT, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ground zero
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ground zero
Noun
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Perhaps, on extremely long timescales, those heavier elements will sink to the center of the core, producing an inert center that slows the rate of fusion even further.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Feb. 2026
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With Sam Darnold under center, the Seahawks were third in points scored and eighth in yards gained.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The agreement emerged from a meeting between senior Russian and American military officials in the capital of the United Arab Emirates.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
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At least 12 people have been killed after an explosion at a Shiite Muslim mosque in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on Friday, Punjab Police told CNN.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Soon after, the area became a hub with saloons, butchers, bakeries and department stores.—
Everett Eaton,
jsonline.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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Natasha Sutherland is the executive director of Florida Watch, a nonprofit communications and research hub.—
Natasha Sutherland,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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With one day left to declare candidacy in the race for Los Angeles mayor, all eyes are on Rick Caruso, the billionaire developer behind outdoor shopping meccas like The Grove.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
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Today, the Los Cabos area and neighboring East Cape have emerged a wellness mecca.—
Jen Murphy,
Outside,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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And that's the same mindset state leaders will need to finally, fully eliminate our state income tax, which should now be their primary focus, and is ours.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
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Meatpackers have long been a focus of criticism for being too concentrated and have paid hundreds of millions to settle price fixing and antitrust lawsuits.—
Enda Curran,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In Japan, tourists flocking to a small town at the base of Mount Fuji to re-create a viral photo caused so many issues that the local government temporarily resorted to erecting a black fabric barrier to block the famous view.—
Trista Kurniawan,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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This design opts for an ultra glossy black base with negative space hearts outlined with silver glitter.—
Paola Zamarripa,
Glamour,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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At that time, the universe was hot enough for quarks and gluons to move freely rather than being confined inside atomic nuclei.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
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For example, the brainstem’s midbrain reticular nucleus, which is involved in initiating movement, is a fairly underexplored region, Abbasi-Asl said.—
Amber Dance,
Quanta Magazine,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Perhaps, on extremely long timescales, those heavier elements will sink to the center of the core, producing an inert center that slows the rate of fusion even further.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Sina Azodi, the director of the Middle East Studies Program at George Washington University, told Fox News Digital that Khamenei’s authority stems from direct control over Iran’s core power centers.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ground zero.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ground%20zero. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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