ground zero
Americannoun
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the point on the surface of the earth or water directly below, directly above, or at which an atomic or hydrogen bomb explodes.
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(sometimes initial capital letters) the site of the former World Trade Center in New York City, destroyed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
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Informal. the very beginning or most elementary level.
Some of the students are starting from ground zero.
noun
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a point on the surface of land or water at or directly above or below the centre of a nuclear explosion
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a scene of great devastation
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(sometimes capitals) the name given to the devastated site of the collapsed World Trade Center towers in New York after September 11 2001
Etymology
Origin of ground zero
First recorded in 1945–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
About 700 miles away around the same time, a momentary greeting between New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at ground zero became a dayslong online uproar.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
In January, Zohran Mamdani was inaugurated as the first Muslim mayor of the very city that was ground zero for al-Qaida’s attacks.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
“The vessel was placed not at ground zero but 800 yards to the northwest, joining a ring of some of the closest-range instrument bunkers.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
The city is ground zero for the AI revolution, and its property prices have risen dramatically this year.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Both women stayed at the elegant Hermitage Hotel, which became ground zero in the suffrage fight.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
