Skip to main content
to zone

to zone

12 4.2
To divide an area into parts for a special use
  • verb
  • /zoʊn/
translation icon : zonificar
  • Do you ever catch yourself zoning out, drifting off, or staring into space?
  • municipalities can zone

The easiest thing you can do is buy land that's already zoned for the use that you want.

Examples

  • Armed with a well-defined police power mandate and an honest assessment of all community needs, municipalities must instead zone in the public interest.

    Academic text (2001)
  • In contrast, men will zone out from the day's pressures by silently heading for the couch and the remote.

    Blog text (18)
  • And also, this slow process gives me the opportunity to both zone in and zone out.

  • But it kind of goes through zone by zone his approach.

  • People listen to me and they zone out...

  • You get into a place where you zone everything out.

    Blog text (1)
  • But why did you zone in on that and niche on that?

  • When I'm playing, I can zone out all the noise.

  • "You keep zoning out," Terry said.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • The city planners decided to zone the area to accommodate residential and commercial buildings.

Synonyms

to divide
vsto zone
680 1.1

To split something into parts or groups

adds the idea of assigning sections for a definite purpose rather than general split
to segment
vsto zone
12 3.5

To divide something into separate parts

emphasizes dividing to set areas for a particular use
to partition
vsto zone
10 4.0

To divide something into parts

focuses on marking areas for a specific purpose instead of just splitting
to section
vsto zone
4 3.3

To divide something into separate parts

refers to assigning parts of an area for specific purposes
to regionalize
vsto zone
  • Formal
1 6.8

To divide a country or organization into regions for local control

is about dividing areas into sections for any specific purpose
to partition off
vsto zone
1 3.9

To divide a space using a wall or screen

marks areas into sections without implying physical barriers
to sectionalize
vsto zone
8.0

To divide a country or city into areas for local government

is used to mark areas for a specific purpose rather than general splitting
to district
vsto zone
  • Formal
5.8

To divide a place into areas for official use

is about dividing areas into sections broadly for specific functions

Antonyms

192 3.2

To join two or more things so they become one

65 3.7

To bring people or things together into one group

Idioms

in the zone
  • Informal
19 6.3

Fully focused and doing very well at an activity

To do new or difficult things on purpose to learn and grow

Phrasal Verbs

To send many messages or ads to overwhelm people

Compounds

47 3.8

An area where soldiers fight during a war

42 2.0

An area of the world that uses the same clock time

32 3.3

A situation where a person feels calm and in control with little stress

28 4.8

A place that is badly damaged and dangerous, like after fighting

13 3.8

An area or situation where people are likely to be hurt

strike zone
  • Specialized
11 4.4

Area over home plate between a batter's knees and shoulders where a pitch must pass to be called a strike

9 5.5

An area where soldiers are actively fighting during a war

drop zone
  • Specialized
9 6.0

An area where supplies or soldiers are dropped from a plane by parachute

kill zone
  • Jargon
9 8.4

An area where people are very likely to be killed during an attack

8 4.4

An area between two sides that reduces conflict and harm

8 4.8

An area where armies and weapons cannot go between two countries

5 4.4

An area where businesses get tax breaks to encourage development

5 6.8

An area of the body that is very sensitive to sexual touch

free zone
  • Specialized
5 4.1

An area near a port where companies store goods for export without paying customs duties

4 3.7

A space for vehicles to stop briefly to load or unload

conflict zone
  • Literature
4 4.3

An area where soldiers or armed groups are fighting

3 4.6

An area where no one fights or competes

An area where drivers must not leave their cars

2 1.5

An area for leaving cars or other vehicles

Areas of Earth between the hot tropics and the cold polar regions that have mild weather

1 8.3

An area where many people die, often on a battlefield

1 7.4

A city area known for crime and violence

1 2.7

An area on a road where people can stand safely away from traffic

1 7.2

A strip of land across Panama with the Panama Canal that the United States once ran

tidal zone
  • Specialized
1 4.2

An area of shore that the sea covers and uncovers with each tide

1 7.9

An area that is dangerous because many crimes happen there

comfort zone
  • Specialized
1 4.3

A temperature range around 28 to 30°C where a person with no clothes does not shiver or sweat

A strip of land across Panama that included the Panama Canal and was controlled by the United States until 1979

The part of Earth near the equator that is hot all year

benthonic zone
  • Specialized
9.9

The part of the sea that includes the bottom and the area near the shore

bathyal zone
  • Specialized
9.9

The part of the ocean between the shallow sea edge and the deep sea, about 200 to 2000 meters deep

A region with the same general weather, like tropical or polar

drop zone
  • Specialized
3.8

A place on a screen where you drag files to upload or move them

dropping zone
  • Jargon
7.3

An area where aircraft drop supplies or people to support soldiers on the ground

abyssal zone
  • Specialized
9.9

A very deep part of the ocean below 2,000 meters with no light, very cold water, and high pressure

An area around the South Pole that includes Antarctica and the nearby ocean

A very cold region around the North Pole with much ice

Frigid Zone
  • Archaic
6.9

A very cold area around the North or South Pole

language zone
  • Specialized
6.5

A part of the brain that controls understanding and producing speech

littoral zone
  • Specialized
7.7

Area along the edge of a sea or lake that is often affected by water

A region of the Earth with a similar climate or position on the globe

neritic zone
  • Specialized
8.9

The shallow part of the sea near the shore that gets sunlight and has many sea animals

North Frigid Zone
  • Specialized
7.7

A very cold area north of the Arctic Circle around the North Pole

North Temperate Zone
  • Specialized
4.5

The part of Earth between the Arctic Circle and the Tropic of Cancer with changing seasons

7.2

The area of the board where a pawn can change into a stronger piece

An extremely cold area around the North or South Pole with ice and snow

A very hot area of the Earth between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn

7.2

An area of sea or land used as a route by smugglers to move drugs between places

South Frigid Zone
  • Specialized
6.4

Area around the South Pole inside the Antarctic Circle that includes Antarctica and nearby seas

Part of the Earth in the south between the Antarctic Circle and the Tropic of Capricorn

twilight zone
  • Informal
7.7

An unclear or strange situation between two states

twilight zone
  • Specialized
7.5

The ocean layer below the surface where only faint light reaches

zone fire
  • Jargon
9.5

Artillery or mortar guns fire in one direction with changing elevation to hit different distances across a target area

8.9

An area away from the front where the military keeps supplies and has offices

How Divided

to isolate
256 4.2
to segregate
22 6.8
to zone
12 4.2
to separate
297 1.9
to divide
680 1.1

Surface Forms

zone infinitive
zoned past
zoned past participle
zoning present participle
zones third person singular

Etymology

To zone comes from the same Greek zōnē 'belt', like putting a belt around part of a map. That's why to zone land is to divide it into sections for a specific purpose.