epicenter
noun
epi·cen·ter
ˈe-pi-ˌsen-tər 
1
: the part of the earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake compare hypocenter sense 1
2
: center sense 2a
the epicenter of world finance
Did you know?
The meaning of epi- in epicenter is "over", so the epicenter of an earthquake lies over the center or "focus" of the quake. Epicenter can also refer to the centers of things that may seem in their own way as powerful—though not as destructive—as earthquakes. Wall Street, for example, might be said to lie at the epicenter of the financial world.
Synonyms
Examples of epicenter in a Sentence
by continually reinventing itself, Las Vegas has managed to remain a national epicenter for entertainment
Recent Examples on the Web
While there is much AI research and development worldwide, Silicon Valley has again emerged as the epicenter of the next big thing in tech.
—
Tim Bajarin, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Arizona was an epicenter for false claims of election fraud in 2020.
—Abc News, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2024
But in New Jersey’s Tewksbury township—the epicenter of the magnitude 4.8 quake—residents barely felt any shaking at all.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Oct. 2024
Hundreds of thousands of Georgians poured through the thousands of polling locations across its 159 counties, including in Fulton County, the epicenter of former President Donald Trump’s claims that election fraud in the region cost him the state and the entire 2020 election.
—Anna Giaritelli, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 30 Oct. 2024
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Tim Bajarin, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Arizona was an epicenter for false claims of election fraud in 2020.
—Abc News, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2024
But in New Jersey’s Tewksbury township—the epicenter of the magnitude 4.8 quake—residents barely felt any shaking at all.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Oct. 2024
Hundreds of thousands of Georgians poured through the thousands of polling locations across its 159 counties, including in Fulton County, the epicenter of former President Donald Trump’s claims that election fraud in the region cost him the state and the entire 2020 election.
—Anna Giaritelli, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for epicenter
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Cite this Entry
“Epicenter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epicenter. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
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epicenter
noun
epi·cen·ter
ˈep-i-ˌsent-ər
: the part of the earth's surface directly above the starting point of an earthquake
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