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
This week, ground zero for the tussle was Royal Oak, where a posse of residents tried to stop low-cost apartments from going up near their homes.
—Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 11 June 2024
For example, Baltimore, ground zero for Neighborhood Nursing’s pilot program, leads all big cities in opioid overdose deaths, yet addiction treatment options there are limited.
—Dan Gorenstein, NPR, 11 June 2024
Just don’t expect any Emily Blunt or John Krasinski: This spinoff prequel shifts the action to a bustling New York City at ground zero of the invasion and follows new characters played by Lupita Nyong’o and Alex Wolff.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 20 May 2024
Each summer, the Milwaukee insurance and financial services company brings more than 12,000 employees and agents together for a week of meetings and events; ground zero is usually the Baird Center and Fiserv Forum, but they can be seen all over downtown.
—Journal Sentinel, 23 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for ground zero 
Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 11 June 2024
For example, Baltimore, ground zero for Neighborhood Nursing’s pilot program, leads all big cities in opioid overdose deaths, yet addiction treatment options there are limited.
—Dan Gorenstein, NPR, 11 June 2024
Just don’t expect any Emily Blunt or John Krasinski: This spinoff prequel shifts the action to a bustling New York City at ground zero of the invasion and follows new characters played by Lupita Nyong’o and Alex Wolff.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 20 May 2024
Each summer, the Milwaukee insurance and financial services company brings more than 12,000 employees and agents together for a week of meetings and events; ground zero is usually the Baird Center and Fiserv Forum, but they can be seen all over downtown.
—Journal Sentinel, 23 May 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 1 Jul. 2024.
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