ground zero

noun

Definition of ground zeronext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ground zero Residents of La Guaira, ground zero of the calamity, said food and water remained in short supply, despite the massive aid effort. — Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026 Minnesota has become ground zero for the administration’s anti-fraud campaign after investigators identified billions of dollars in potentially fraudulent claims across high-risk Medicaid programs. — Sally Pipes, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026 The Hartford History Center — ground zero for the flooding — also has been restored and more fully opened up to the rest of the library. — Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 1 June 2026 Rollins, who had been evacuated from his apartment a few blocks from ground zero, had gone ahead with the concert at the urging of his wife and manager, Lucille. — CBS News, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for ground zero
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ground zero
  1. center
  2. capital
  3. hub
  4. mecca
  5. focus
  6. base
  7. nucleus
  8. core
Noun
  • Both men sat in opposite corners afterward before Reigns walked to the center and offered a fist, and Rollins met it.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Ebola treatment centers have been attacked by residents fueled by misinformation or anger over strict outbreak measures.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of center
Noun
  • Air defenses were activated in the Iranian capital, Tehran, and explosions were reported in several Iranian cities, according to state media.
    — Arpita Dasika, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
  • In today’s cultural economy, where archival fashion pieces, horology, and unique collections blur with investment strategy, the ability to maintain image and ownership while accessing capital quietly is increasingly prized for some.
    — Tanya Akim, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of capital
Noun
  • The region’s data centers are important not only to the US military and AI industries but also to the Gulf region, which fancied itself a third global AI hub, along with the United States and China.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Whatever solutions are proposed, Scotland has to become a hub for homegrown talent.
    — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of hub
Noun
  • The popular theatre was a cultural mecca that drew thousands to its operas, ballets and other public events, and hosted legendary greats including Maria Callas and Franco Zeffirelli.
    — Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • The long-standing problem is that Skid Row is both a social service center and a mecca of drugs and other vices, with traps on every block.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of mecca
Noun
  • As team president Mark Donovan put it on Wednesday while speaking at the opening of training camp at Missouri Western, the focus forward began almost instantly after the Chiefs lost their season finale to the Raiders in Las Vegas.
    — Vahe Gregorian July 31, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
  • The new teams are part of a larger focus on school safety across Georgia following the 2024 mass shooting at Apalachee High School.
    — AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of focus
Noun
  • Cyrus’ flawless-looking skin was in part thanks to the Maybelline New York Lifter Plump and Glow Foundation, a sheer base that can be built up for more coverage.
    — Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Jorge Polanco reached on a two-out error at first base by Stowers.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of base
Noun
  • The resulting collisions formed excited compound nuclei that decayed through multiple gamma-ray steps.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The others affectionately call her Head Hen and describe her as the nucleus of the group.
    — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 30 July 2026
Definition of nucleus
Noun
  • The core challenge is agents' ability to exploit existing weaknesses at scale, necessitating improved governance and careful permission management.
    — Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • But Cheogyal and his classmates studied the history of Tibetan dynasties, logic, philosophical systems, poetry, linguistics, and astrology – core subjects in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of core

Browse Nearby Words

groundworks
ground zero
ground zeros
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Cite this Entry

“Ground zero.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ground%20zero. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ground zero

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ground zero

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