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.
The rolling, forested hills of Kentucky’s bourbon country are ground zero for the slowdown afflicting the U.S. alcohol industry.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026
“BDCs are ground zero for value opportunity,” says Stephen O’Neill, portfolio manager at RiverNorth, a specialist in closed-end fund and BDC investments.
From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026
Nobody is exactly sure who originally coined the term, but ground zero, according to the internet historians at KnowYourMeme, might be a post made by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez one day before the inauguration.
From Slate • Feb. 12, 2026
Elizabeth Taylor and Burton were ground zero of what we see today.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2025
When you drive toward the site where a bomb went off, you’re approaching ground zero.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
Definitions 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.
