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Synonyms

zero in

British  

verb

  1. (often foll by on) to bring (a weapon) to bear (on a target), as while firing repeatedly

  2. informal to bring one's attention to bear (on a problem, etc)

  3. informal to converge (upon)

    the police zeroed in on the site of the crime

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

See Examples For:

“Breathe, zero in on your target, OK, now smooth …,” she said, hovering over one attendee.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 30, 2026

He told BBC Breakfast he is "absolutely convinced I've done nothing wrong in any way at all" and he has "taken zero in personal expenses" since being elected in July 2024.

From BBC Jun. 23, 2026

Season 3 “finally starts to zero in on what feels like it might be the show’s core story,” explains Slate’s Sam Adams.

From Slate Jun. 22, 2026

In those reports, senior living experts say to zero in on these metrics:

From Barron's Jun. 20, 2026

Even if zero were a number in the Greek sense, the act of taking a ratio with zero in it would seem to defy nature.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

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