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
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
Zouk was ground zero for Los Angeles nightlife last weekend.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025
The spot will likely be ground zero for fans wanting to snag the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2.
—Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2025
Related: How to See Greenland on a Quark Expeditions Cruise
Greenland is considered ground zero for climate change: the Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the rest of the world, and meltwater from the ice sheets and glaciers is the largest contributor to rising sea levels globally.
—Chloe Berge, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2025
Image The program, which now helps 137,000 members, was created by Congress in 2011 as part of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act to provide treatment for emergency workers, cleanup crews and those living in Lower Manhattan who were sickened by airborne toxins at ground zero.
—Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ground zero
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Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025
The spot will likely be ground zero for fans wanting to snag the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2.
—Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2025
Related: How to See Greenland on a Quark Expeditions Cruise
Greenland is considered ground zero for climate change: the Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the rest of the world, and meltwater from the ice sheets and glaciers is the largest contributor to rising sea levels globally.
—Chloe Berge, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2025
Image The program, which now helps 137,000 members, was created by Congress in 2011 as part of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act to provide treatment for emergency workers, cleanup crews and those living in Lower Manhattan who were sickened by airborne toxins at ground zero.
—Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ground zero
Cite this Entry
“Ground zero.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ground%20zero. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.
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