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

3

: the very beginning : square one

Synonyms

• axis
• base
• capital
• center
• central
• core
• cynosure
• epicenter
• eye
• focus
• heart
• hub
• locus
• mecca
• navel
• nerve center
• nexus
• nucleus
• omphalos
• seat

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

Even compared with similar places, which were generally moving toward the G.O.P., and controlling for exposure to economic shocks, the communities targeted by the sales reps—the opioid ground zeros—moved toward the Republicans by an extra 4.6 per cent in the 2020 House elections. —Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 26 Nov. 2024

Red Bull, the energy drink company known for its extreme sports series, is bringing it back to ground zero. —Shawna Chen, Axios, 18 Oct. 2024

The film also played at Telluride, which is considered ground zero for launching an Oscar campaign. —Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Oct. 2024

Devastating storm surge rolled in at ground zero, Apalachee Bay, pushing more than 15 feet of water onto normally dry areas. —Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 4 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

ground zero

noun

1

: the site of a nuclear explosion

2

: the center of rapid, intense, or violent activity or change

3

: the very beginning : square one