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
Sitting right in the heart of Ocean Drive just steps from the sand, its open-air pool and lively patio are ground zero for that nonstop energy the neighborhood is known for.
—
Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
During Denver’s summer of violence in the early 1990s, it was considered ground zero for gang conflict.
—Beverly Kingston, The Conversation, 5 Mar. 2026
After an emergency extension and an intervention from the state’s Supreme Court, Dallas County — a stronghold for Democrats — became ground zero for a voting rights dispute with implications well beyond its borders.
—Jamie Landers, Dallas Morning News, 4 Mar. 2026
In a state known globally as ground zero for whiskey and bourbon, two Tennessee distilleries are resurrecting absinthe as a modern go-to spirit for curious palates and cocktail enthusiasts.
—David Cook, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ground zero
Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
During Denver’s summer of violence in the early 1990s, it was considered ground zero for gang conflict.
—Beverly Kingston, The Conversation, 5 Mar. 2026
After an emergency extension and an intervention from the state’s Supreme Court, Dallas County — a stronghold for Democrats — became ground zero for a voting rights dispute with implications well beyond its borders.
—Jamie Landers, Dallas Morning News, 4 Mar. 2026
In a state known globally as ground zero for whiskey and bourbon, two Tennessee distilleries are resurrecting absinthe as a modern go-to spirit for curious palates and cocktail enthusiasts.
—David Cook, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ground zero
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ground zero
Noun
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Rising electricity rates have been a fault line in recent campaigns, especially as enormous data centers are built to power artificial intelligence.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Hager, who worked at three ARC centers during the span of nearly a decade, said those kinds of groups that ARC billed for were the standard and forging group notes was common.—
Alex Acquisto,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Even as China remains one of Iran’s biggest diplomatic allies, President Xi Jinping’s support for the Islamic Republic is being constrained by a vast trail of Chinese capital across the Gulf.—
Bloomberg,
Bloomberg,
10 Apr. 2026
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The capital murder trial of Tanner Horner entered its second day on Wednesday, and the jury watched several hours of video showing law enforcement interrogation of Horner and the discovery of 7-year-old Athena Strand’s body.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Many states covet the ecosystem created by North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park, a massive biotech and life sciences hub positioned between the Tar Heel State’s top universities.—
Zachary Hansen,
AJC.com,
10 Apr. 2026
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The current Hayward site became Azuma’s headquarters and manufacturing hub in 2009.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Tullman’s new complex will, of course, hardly stand alone in a city that long has been a mecca for magic.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
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Las Vegas is a mecca for cuisines from around the world, including Mexican, but Cantina Contramar is arguably the most significant opening by a Mexican chef in the city.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The storm, which hit the New York area in October, 2012, unlocked billions of dollars in resilience spending, with hurricanes, rather than heat waves or cloudbursts, as the focus.—
Eric Klinenberg,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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But Shanxi's major focus and biggest success for life after coal has been tourism.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Since 2023, a Sasquatch figure — similar to the one in the old Jack Link’s Beef Jerky ads — has appeared atop the Royals Hall of Fame in left field after Pasquantino reaches base.—
PJ Green
April 8,
Kansas City Star,
8 Apr. 2026
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Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed one run in six-plus innings, Shohei Ohtani extended his career-best on-base streak to 42 games and the Los Angeles Dodgers pushed their winning streak to five, beating the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 on Tuesday night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Cosmic rays are a mix of different subatomic particles, including helium nuclei (two protons and two neutrons bound together) or even heavier elements.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
3 Apr. 2026
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Try building anything when the nucleus of your team never see the floor together.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That series ended with a ruptured Achilles for superstar forward Jayson Tatum, and a battering ram taken to the extremities of a Celtics core that had claimed an NBA title just a season prior.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
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If the core isn’t doing the work, the body will compensate in other ways.—
Ronnie Koenig,
SELF,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ground zero.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ground%20zero. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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