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
The way that was smothered was ground zero of how the West would deal with this independence and non-aligned movement was actually what happened in the Congo, the overthrow and the murder of Patrice Lumumba.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Sep. 2024
Anything on the surface that creates a shadow and somewhere for little fish to congregate and hide is ground zero for dolphin.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 19 Sep. 2024
In 2020 and 2022, Arizona was ground zero for waves of election litigation and other more creative challenges from former President Trump and his Republican allies.
—Jeremy Duda, Axios, 16 Sep. 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump met at a ceremony at ground zero in New York City, honoring the lives lost during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, hours after their debate on Tuesday night.
—Jack Birle, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 11 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ground zero 
Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Sep. 2024
Anything on the surface that creates a shadow and somewhere for little fish to congregate and hide is ground zero for dolphin.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 19 Sep. 2024
In 2020 and 2022, Arizona was ground zero for waves of election litigation and other more creative challenges from former President Trump and his Republican allies.
—Jeremy Duda, Axios, 16 Sep. 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump met at a ceremony at ground zero in New York City, honoring the lives lost during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, hours after their debate on Tuesday night.
—Jack Birle, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 11 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ground zero
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.
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 6 Oct. 2024.
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