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
That day Lahaina, the cultural heart of West Maui, became ground zero of America’s deadliest wildfire in more than a century.
—Josh Green, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
The last two have been described as ground zero for the devastation.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
As this tricky forecast comes into focus, all signs point to Jamaica being ground zero for what could become one of the most destructive hurricanes of the season.
—Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
Guests of Harley Farms can experience the harvest from ground zero with their Public Farm Dinners among the goats that live on the premises.
—AFAR Media, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ground zero
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Josh Green, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
The last two have been described as ground zero for the devastation.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025
As this tricky forecast comes into focus, all signs point to Jamaica being ground zero for what could become one of the most destructive hurricanes of the season.
—Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025
Guests of Harley Farms can experience the harvest from ground zero with their Public Farm Dinners among the goats that live on the premises.
—AFAR Media, 25 Oct. 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 2 Nov. 2025.
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