ground zero
noun
1
: the point directly above, below, or at which a nuclear explosion occurs
2
: the center or origin of rapid, intense, or violent activity or change
broadly
: center sense 2a
the party town that served as ground zero for those corporate … bashes —
Rich Eisen
Rich Eisen 3
: the very beginning : square one
Synonyms
Examples of ground zero in a Sentence
ground zero in the battle over immigration laws
a city that was once ground zero for the insurance industry
Recent Examples on the Web
Long after Los Angeles has become a radioactive ground zero unfit for most human life — a real one, not just a metaphorical one — a soldier, Joshua (John David Washington), has gone deep undercover in an attempt to find the AI army’s leader.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2023
In addition to first responders, the attacks have left ongoing health effects on workers in the World Trade Center who evacuated their workplaces, passersby, residents of the surrounding buildings and volunteers who spent time at ground zero in the weeks after.
—Maria Sole Campinoti, CNN, 24 Sep. 2023
Vice President Kamala Harris represented the administration at the commemoration ceremony at ground zero in lower Manhattan on Monday morning.
—Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2023
And more recently, the neighborhood has become ground zero for the city’s fentanyl crisis, with several open-air drug markets popping up in empty buildings nearby.
—Mrussell, oregonlive, 15 Aug. 2023
Computations by Philippe and his colleagues show the cloud’s trajectory primarily spreading up over northeast New Mexico and a part of the cloud circling to the south and west of ground zero over the next few days.
—Lesley M.m. Blume, BostonGlobe.com, 21 July 2023
In the third act of Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb sits in a darkened hall and watches a slide show of what his gadget hath wrought at ground zero.
—Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2023
The governor, who is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, spent roughly three hours at ground zero.
—Will McDuffie, ABC News, 12 Sep. 2023
Bells toll as the US marks 22 years since 9/11, from ground zero to Alaska
Bells tolled at ground zero and solemn tributes unfolded around the country as Americans looked back on the horror and legacy of 9/11.
—Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023
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David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2023
In addition to first responders, the attacks have left ongoing health effects on workers in the World Trade Center who evacuated their workplaces, passersby, residents of the surrounding buildings and volunteers who spent time at ground zero in the weeks after.
—Maria Sole Campinoti, CNN, 24 Sep. 2023
Vice President Kamala Harris represented the administration at the commemoration ceremony at ground zero in lower Manhattan on Monday morning.
—Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2023
And more recently, the neighborhood has become ground zero for the city’s fentanyl crisis, with several open-air drug markets popping up in empty buildings nearby.
—Mrussell, oregonlive, 15 Aug. 2023
Computations by Philippe and his colleagues show the cloud’s trajectory primarily spreading up over northeast New Mexico and a part of the cloud circling to the south and west of ground zero over the next few days.
—Lesley M.m. Blume, BostonGlobe.com, 21 July 2023
In the third act of Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb sits in a darkened hall and watches a slide show of what his gadget hath wrought at ground zero.
—Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2023
The governor, who is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, spent roughly three hours at ground zero.
—Will McDuffie, ABC News, 12 Sep. 2023
Bells toll as the US marks 22 years since 9/11, from ground zero to Alaska
Bells tolled at ground zero and solemn tributes unfolded around the country as Americans looked back on the horror and legacy of 9/11.
—Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ground zero.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1946, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near ground zero
Cite this Entry
“Ground zero.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ground%20zero. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
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Kids Definition
ground zero
noun1
: the site of a nuclear explosion
2
: the center of rapid, intense, or violent activity or change
3
: the very beginning : square one
More from Merriam-Webster on ground zero
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ground zero
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