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
Nvidia is ground zero in the U.S.-China tech rivalry — its GPUs might just be the most valuable components in the AI arms race, and its position is increasingly shaped by policy, not just engineering.
—Shannon Carroll, Quartz, 28 May 2025
However, the Ivy League institution has long been a punching bag for conservatives, many of whom view it as a ground zero for liberal ideology and activism.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
This offseason is like another reset, a return to ground zero.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Network media like The Washington Post and CBS News have found themselves at ground zero of Trump's firestorm, but on opposing sides.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ground zero
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Shannon Carroll, Quartz, 28 May 2025
However, the Ivy League institution has long been a punching bag for conservatives, many of whom view it as a ground zero for liberal ideology and activism.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
This offseason is like another reset, a return to ground zero.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 17 May 2025
Network media like The Washington Post and CBS News have found themselves at ground zero of Trump's firestorm, but on opposing sides.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 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 7 Jun. 2025.
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