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
Pennsylvania could be ground zero in the battle for the White House and the Senate.
—Mike D'onofrio, Axios, 23 July 2024
This was what ground zero looked like for their community in upstate New York.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 June 2024
The attack reduced the World Trade Center to a deep gash in the earth called ground zero.
—Alex Traub, New York Times, 6 June 2024
The neighborhood was ground zero for a massive rescue effort that saw hundreds of volunteers get people out of homes surrounded by water, and deliver sand bags and food.
—Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ground zero 
Mike D'onofrio, Axios, 23 July 2024
This was what ground zero looked like for their community in upstate New York.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 June 2024
The attack reduced the World Trade Center to a deep gash in the earth called ground zero.
—Alex Traub, New York Times, 6 June 2024
The neighborhood was ground zero for a massive rescue effort that saw hundreds of volunteers get people out of homes surrounded by water, and deliver sand bags and food.
—Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 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 20 Sep. 2024.
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