zero in

Meaning

1. To focus one's aim; to zoom in and center (on something).
2. To successfully narrow down a search (for).
3. To concentrate or focus one's attention (on a task).
4. To converge (on).

Synonyms

zero

aim

turn

home in

range in

fix

focus

level

pay

💸

address

place

point

sight

strive

target

train

🚋

pitch

align

aline

concentrate on

direct

Etymology

The phrase possibly comes from adjusting a sighting mechanism of a firearm to minimise the discrepancy between where the sight points and where a bullet lands on a target.
Another possible source is the Cartesian coordinate system in mathematics. In the coordinate system, points are defined relative to an origin (point of reference) labeled O, which has an (x,y) coordinate pair of (0,0).