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
Georgia was ground zero for Trump’s claims about the election being stolen in 2020.
—Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 31 Oct. 2024
Shipping ports are ground zero for the emerging hydrogen economy.
—David Blekhman, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024
Florida has made headlines in recent months as ground zero for the climate-change insurance crisis.
—Molly Taft, WIRED, 2 Oct. 2024
In 2024, Milwaukee, and Wisconsin more broadly, is ground zero for the fight for the White House.
—Galen Druke, ABC News, 15 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for ground zero 
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Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 31 Oct. 2024
Shipping ports are ground zero for the emerging hydrogen economy.
—David Blekhman, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024
Florida has made headlines in recent months as ground zero for the climate-change insurance crisis.
—Molly Taft, WIRED, 2 Oct. 2024
In 2024, Milwaukee, and Wisconsin more broadly, is ground zero for the fight for the White House.
—Galen Druke, ABC News, 15 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for ground zero
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 Dec. 2024.
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