epicenter
n. countablen. the exact point on the ground directly above where an earthquake starts. It is also used to describe the middle of a major event or problem.
n. the point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake. By extension, it refers to the central point of a significant, often destructive, event or activity.
The epicenter of the earthquake was near the coast.
The small town became the epicenter of the national protest movement after the local factory closed down.
While the virus was detected in several provinces, the capital city remained the epicenter of the outbreak, accounting for nearly eighty percent of all confirmed cases.
From epi- + center.
Often used metaphorically to describe the heart of a crisis or a major cultural shift.
The epicenter was ten miles underground.The focus was ten miles underground.The epicenter is always on the surface; the point inside the earth where the earthquake starts is the focus or hypocenter.