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
On February 2, 2017, UC Berkeley became ground zero when provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos’ speech was protested- these violent protests were only the tip of the iceberg in a rapid shift in norms on college campuses.
—Manu Meel, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
Identifying ground zero for the advent of Dengue Fever can be tricky, but careful research has identified Aquarius Records in the heart of San Francisco’s Mission District as the primary origin of the infectiously melodic band.
—Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 27 Dec. 2024
School boards have become ground zero where far-right extremists use a decades-old playbook against the LGBTQ+ community.
—Gretchen Smail, Them, 31 Oct. 2024
The church, about 500 yards from ground zero and near the Nagasaki Peace Park, is widely seen as a symbol of hope and peace, as its bell tower and some statues survived the nuclear bombing.
—Yuri Kageyama, Los Angeles Times, 5 Jan. 2025
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Manu Meel, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025
Identifying ground zero for the advent of Dengue Fever can be tricky, but careful research has identified Aquarius Records in the heart of San Francisco’s Mission District as the primary origin of the infectiously melodic band.
—Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News, 27 Dec. 2024
School boards have become ground zero where far-right extremists use a decades-old playbook against the LGBTQ+ community.
—Gretchen Smail, Them, 31 Oct. 2024
The church, about 500 yards from ground zero and near the Nagasaki Peace Park, is widely seen as a symbol of hope and peace, as its bell tower and some statues survived the nuclear bombing.
—Yuri Kageyama, Los Angeles Times, 5 Jan. 2025
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 27 Jan. 2025.
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