epicenter
noun
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The meaning of epi- in epicenter is "over", so the epicenter of an earthquake lies over the center or "focus" of the quake. Epicenter can also refer to the centers of things that may seem in their own way as powerful—though not as destructive—as earthquakes. Wall Street, for example, might be said to lie at the epicenter of the financial world.
Synonyms
Examples of epicenter in a Sentence
Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Sep. 2024
The earthquake struck at around 7:28 a.m. and was felt across Thousand Oaks, Calabasas, and the Los Angeles area, with the epicenter closest to the Malibu fault.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 12 Sep. 2024
Unwilling to bend the knee before his country’s oppressors, William Tell is thrust into a perilous trial, one that draws him and his family into the epicenter of a revolution that will shape the destiny of his nation.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2024
The first earthquake struck near Archibald Avenue and Brookside Street at 10:05 a.m. Saturday, and was followed by the larger earthquake about three-fifths of a mile to the northeast, with an epicenter at the 60 Freeway and South Oak Hill Drive.
—Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for epicenter 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'epicenter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Epicenter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epicenter. Accessed 19 Sep. 2024.
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epicenter
noun
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