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
Ochota Barrels The Price of Silence Gamay, Adelaide Hills, South Australia, $60
Adelaide Hills was ground zero for the country’s natural wine movement, home to a plethora of creative small-batch producers like winemaker Taras Ochota, who led the charge.
—Christina Pickard, Bon Appétit, 5 Mar. 2025
It’s been ground zero for the phenomenon for decades.
—Graham Averill, Outside Online, 3 Mar. 2025
Trump’s current border czar Tom Homan has designated Chicago ground zero for his mass deportation plans, singling out Johnson and Gov. JB Pritzker.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025
Zouk was ground zero for Los Angeles nightlife last weekend.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ground zero
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Christina Pickard, Bon Appétit, 5 Mar. 2025
It’s been ground zero for the phenomenon for decades.
—Graham Averill, Outside Online, 3 Mar. 2025
Trump’s current border czar Tom Homan has designated Chicago ground zero for his mass deportation plans, singling out Johnson and Gov. JB Pritzker.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2025
Zouk was ground zero for Los Angeles nightlife last weekend.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 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 16 Apr. 2025.
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