kingpin

noun

ˈkiŋ-ˌpin How to pronounce kingpin (audio)
Definition of kingpinnext
1
as in heavyweight
one of high position or importance within a group a police sting that nabbed several kingpins of the city's drug trade

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in leader
the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells people and especially workers what to do finally nailed the mob kingpin who had been controlling all the gambling rackets in the city

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 kingpin Sunday treats us to Chalk It Up regulars and bouncing local rock kingpins the Brodys, flanked by Asesinos, Rose Lyon, Sol Peligro and Leaping Blennies. — Aaron Davis, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2026 Beneath his smooth and calm outward behavior, Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) is a calculated drug kingpin who will stop at nothing to stay on top. — Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026 In the Guy Ritchie crime drama, Winstone plays kingpin Bobby Glass. — Jack Dunn, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026 Rex plays Landry Taylor, the ruthless kingpin who controls the film’s bodybuilding world. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for kingpin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kingpin
  1. heavyweight
  2. leader
  3. heavy
  4. boss
  5. big
  6. foreman
  7. magnate
  8. master
Noun
  • Northrop Grumman faces stiff competition in the uncrewed fighter market from several defence industry heavyweights.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The New York Rangers remain an Eastern Conference heavyweight relying on their dominant foundation.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of heavyweight
Noun
  • Tuesday night’s episode of NBC’s The Voice saw team leaders Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, Queen Latifah, and Riley Green complete their rosters as the Blind Auditions came to an end.
    — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 7 Oct. 2026
  • French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the government and school leaders must listen to students' concerns and find solutions.
    — NICOLAS GARRIGA, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of leader
Noun
  • That also suggests the league accepts, or at least tolerates, the flag-heavy officiating that has come to define the early months of the season.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The forecast is for rain and wind off the lake (hit the under heavy) and that will put a premium on running the football and lessen the reliance on Rodgers, who might be feeling the effects of a short week.
    — Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of heavy
Noun
  • Drivers knew the back entrances, the factory layouts, and the best path to the boss of a mom-and-pop workshop.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Serena tells him his former boss Elliott Wyatt recommended him highly, which is strange given his former reticence.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of boss
Noun
  • Recruiting Cohen is a big to support Black Bear’s investment in a broad slate of independent films.
    — Mya Copeland, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Polish superstar Robert Lewandowski joining the Chicago Fire has been a big to Woznik, who is just as likely to groove to the great romantic 19th century Polish composer Frederic Chopin.
    — Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of big
Noun
  • Rooms in the back of the second and third floors had mahogany window frames that peered into the main space, allowing a foreman to supervise workers.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The Nepal Electricity Authority named the two men who were rescued alive as 30-year-old Sanjay Sah, a mechanical foreman from Saptari district in eastern Nepal, and Kabir Maharjan, 45, a mechanical supervisor from Kathmandu.
    — Bhadra Sharma, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of foreman
Noun
  • Oprah Winfrey is many things—a source of wisdom, a business magnate, and a style icon.
    — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Kounalakis holds a master’s in business administration from UC Berkeley and is the daughter of Sacramento real estate magnate Angelo Tsakopolous.
    — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of magnate
Noun
  • Zhang plays optimistic puzzle master Florence, and Sula is Conrad’s estranged daughter and criminal psychologist Astrid.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Ted was accepted into a master’s program in data science at Columbia, but her own acceptance was at UC Berkeley.
    — Ellen O’Connell Whittet, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of master

Browse Nearby Words

kingly
kingpin
kingpins
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Cite this Entry

“Kingpin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kingpin. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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