as in center
a thing or place that is of greatest importance to an activity or interest
a city that was once ground zero for the insurance industry
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Recent Examples of ground zero
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
Last month, President Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, designated Chicago as ground zero for his plans to round up immigrants staying in the country illegally at an unprecedented scale.
—Samantha Moilanen, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ground zero
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
Last month, President Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, designated Chicago as ground zero for his plans to round up immigrants staying in the country illegally at an unprecedented scale.
—Samantha Moilanen, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ground zero
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ground zero
Noun
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Functionality of these three branches and the commensurate endurance of individual liberty center squarely on society’s universal respect for the rule of law.—
Blake D. Morant,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
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The state’s high court can rule on cases involving voting rights and redistricting in a state likely to be at the center of both next year’s midterm elections and the 2028 presidential contest.—
Nicholas Riccardi,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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What To Know Protests are occurring in nearly every state capital, with only Annapolis, Maryland, and Jackson, Mississippi, not listing official events, though both have gatherings in other locations.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Apr. 2025
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The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had dominated the capital for most of the war, with the Sudanese army forced to set up a wartime hub at Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast.—
Emmanuel Akinwotu,
NPR,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
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There will always be a need for people to access information, and libraries are the hubs of the community.—
J.M. Banks,
Kansas City Star,
5 Apr. 2025
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Pandora shares shed 11% Thursday, hitting its lowest level in a year, on the announcement of 37% tariffs on its main production hub, Thailand.—
Karen Gilchrist,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Since its founding in 1869, the university has turned Carbondale into a tiny cultural mecca and a powerful economic engine in an otherwise vast, rural region that has been battered by the decline of manufacturing and coal mining.—
Molly Parker,
ProPublica,
27 Mar. 2025
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Critics of the loophole point to Walt Disney as among the first to take advantage of it decades ago when developing its tourist mecca of resorts and theme parks near Orlando.—
Josh Salman,
Miami Herald,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The Kansas City Star (660) 254-1083 Kendrick Calfee covers breaking news for The Kansas City Star with a focus on public safety.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
5 Apr. 2025
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Jennifer Ouellette Senior Writer Jennifer is a senior writer at Ars Technica with a particular focus on where science meets culture, covering everything from physics and related interdisciplinary topics to her favorite films and TV series.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Analysts say that Walmart can use its enormous scale and wide supplier base to keep prices down for customers, even as tariffs raise its costs.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2025
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Lefkowitz’s base case implies the broad index will end the year marginally in the red, as his current target of 5,800 suggests the benchmark will slide 1.4% in 2025.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Re-signing Bichette, who's eligible for free agency at the end of this season, would give Toronto a nucleus to build around for years.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
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Previously, research has suggested the formation of the heaviest elements, such as gold, requires copious amounts of neutrons that atomic nuclei can absorb to become larger and larger.—
Charles Q. Choi,
Space.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In any event, the first quarter moon in Cancer encourages you to take action toward your emotional stability while considering your core values.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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No matter how someone is playing Minecraft, the core appeal is in its infinite freedom.—
Issy van der Velde,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ground zero.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ground%20zero. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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