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
Relevance
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
Among the crowd in Tampa was Silas Pearson, vice president of the largest Turning Point chapter in the country, at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, ground zero for evangelical higher education.
—
Andrew Cockburn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Hands are ground zero for daily wear.
—Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 29 Dec. 2025
But for her show, the host and producer Zoe Kurland took apparent inspiration from the idiosyncratic residents of the Davis Mountains Resort—also known as ground zero for the Republic of Texas movement, which formed under the belief that the United States had illegally annexed Texas in 1845.
—Benjamin Cannon, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—an agency once widely trusted for their commitment to the scientific process, has become ground zero for medical myths masquerading as fact.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ground zero
Andrew Cockburn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Hands are ground zero for daily wear.
—Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 29 Dec. 2025
But for her show, the host and producer Zoe Kurland took apparent inspiration from the idiosyncratic residents of the Davis Mountains Resort—also known as ground zero for the Republic of Texas movement, which formed under the belief that the United States had illegally annexed Texas in 1845.
—Benjamin Cannon, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—an agency once widely trusted for their commitment to the scientific process, has become ground zero for medical myths masquerading as fact.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ground zero
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ground zero
Noun
-
It’ll be deployed to Google DeepMind and Hyundai’s Robotics Metaplant Applications center in the coming months, and additional customers will adopt it in early 2027.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
-
This path begins with choosing leaders who will put principle over politics and ideology, with a promise to focus on the middle class as the center of every policy.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Though Andrea was found guilty of capital murder in 2002, her conviction was reversed.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
-
And investments are only expected to grow, with Goldman Sachs reporting that AI companies are estimated to invest more than $500 billion in capital expenditures this year.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Fort Worth as a whole has made a strong push to be recognized as a hub for film production.—
Samuel O'Neal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Among other speakers at the Summit was Zach Kokoloff, senior vice president/asset management at Hackman Capital Partners which operates Radford Studio Center in Studio City, a 55-acre hub of stages, offices and support staff.—
Marianne Love,
Daily News,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Frequenting some of the city’s smaller concert venues that help Chicago thrive as a live-music mecca.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Furano, Japan Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s main islands, is a powder mecca.—
Jen Murphy,
Outside,
20 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Stepheny Price is a Writer at Fox News with a focus on West Coast and Midwest news, missing persons, national and international crime stories, homicide cases, and border security.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Barra says the focus now is on making cars more affordable, incorporating artificial intelligence and new technology like Google Gemini to make the vehicles safer and appealing to the consumer.—
Julia Avant,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
These dusters feature a slim flat base covered with a washable and reusable microfiber cloth that can slide under the bottom of appliances, picking up dust and other debris that has collected.—
Jolie Kerr,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2026
-
The children helped choose the location in the front yard and worked alongside their parents to stomp out the snow, creating a perfect 12-foot circle for the igloo’s base.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In essence, this would mean that alpha particles (helium nuclei) released by decaying uranium (or some other fissile material) would be focused through engine nozzles to generate thrust.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Comets tend to be at their brightest around perihelion, when the increase in solar heating causes icy material in their central coma to vaporize and feed the envelope of gas surrounding the solid nucleus.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Visa and MasterCard have responded to growing scrutiny with minor, cosmetic adjustments, but the core problem remains unchanged.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Instead, creators will take on the role of consultants, as brands develop more substantial partnerships with the talent that now make up such a core part of their marketing strategies.—
Madeleine Schulz,
Vogue,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ground zero.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ground%20zero. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
