hot spot

noun

Definition of hot spotnext
as in playground

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hot spot Knicks celebrate Fresh-off-the-title darlings Deuce McBride and Tyler Kolek swap confetti for ocean breezes at Montauk’s hot spot Bounce Beach. — Nancy Kane, New York Daily News, 27 June 2026 After Warren; North Las Vegas, Nevada; and Madison, Wisconsin, were the top bedbug hot spot cities, according to the report. — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026 Swift has been spotted plenty of times at this Italian hot spot in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan, most recently in May, celebrating Lena Dunham’s 40th birthday. — Lily Boyce, New York Times, 2 July 2026 The Balboa Peninsula, which Stapleton represents on the council, has historically been an infamous hot spot for public drinking, disruptive parties and brawls throughout the summer and especially during the Fourth of July. — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for hot spot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hot spot
  1. playground
  2. happy hunting ground
  3. hive
  4. ground zero
  5. hotbed
  6. nerve center
  7. center
  8. central
Noun
  • The attack shocked Monaco, a coastal playground for the rich and famous known for its tax-friendly incentives, royal family and Formula 1 Grand Prix.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
  • There's also a custom trampoline, playground and even an ice skating rink on the upper lawn.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
Definition of playground
Noun
  • Brighton need three points to stay within touching distance of Bournemouth above them, but Elland Road might not be a happy hunting ground for the visitors.
    — Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 15 May 2026
  • The Gtech Community Stadium has not been a happy hunting ground for Chelsea in recent years, having failed to win in any of their last three visits to the ground.
    — Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Sep. 2025
Definition of happy hunting ground
Noun
  • One facility, under the banks of the Seine near the Place du Canada, is a hive of pumps, pipes and machinery.
    — Francois de Beaupuy, Fortune, 28 June 2026
  • Though still under construction, the former Western Union laboratory was a hive of dancers, dramaturges, architects, painters, and other artists buzzing around in rehearsals and reviewing stage designs for upcoming productions and exhibitions.
    — Adrian Madlener, Curbed, 27 June 2026
Definition of hive
Noun
  • Residents of La Guaira, ground zero of the calamity, said food and water remained in short supply, despite the massive aid effort.
    — Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
  • Minnesota has become ground zero for the administration’s anti-fraud campaign after investigators identified billions of dollars in potentially fraudulent claims across high-risk Medicaid programs.
    — Sally Pipes, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Definition of ground zero
Noun
  • India leads the way population-wise, but other South Asian countries, as well as Great Britain and Commonwealth countries like Australia and New Zealand, are also cricket hotbeds.
    — Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 23 June 2026
  • The Abbott show was at Tulsa’s Cain’s Ballroom in June 2025, contributing to a growing buzz around Keyland’s music in the city, especially at the Mercury Lounge, a hotbed of Red Dirt in Tulsa where the band has become a regular.
    — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 22 June 2026
Definition of hotbed
Noun
  • In effect, the system serves as the tournament's digital nerve center, helping FIFA and Lenovo manage the complex logistics of hosting matches simultaneously across countries and cities.
    — Justyn Newman, PC Magazine, 22 June 2026
  • Ultimately the interference can lead to flight disruptions and delays as confusion descends on the nerve center of a plane.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
Definition of nerve center
Noun
  • Neto bobbled the ball for an error, though, and Contreras crushed Johnson’s next pitch for his 20th homer, a 446-foot shot to left-center that left his bat at 112 mph and gave Boston a 5-3 lead.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • The incident happened less than a week after another child was found dead inside a car at a Plantation early learning center last Monday.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026
Definition of center
Noun
  • Story-wise, the crew is chasing the final Shadowsmith and the World Seed, with Takeo and Carver central to the Kowakujō main quest that unlocks at launch.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
  • SpaceX went public on June 12, with AI central to its IPO narrative.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 June 2026
Definition of central

Browse Nearby Words

hotshots
hot spot
hot spots
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hot spot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hot%20spot. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All