kingpin

noun

king·​pin ˈkiŋ-ˌpin 

1

: the chief person in a group or undertaking

2

: any of several bowling pins: such as

a

: headpin

b

: the pin that stands in the middle of a triangular arrangement of bowling pins

3

a

: kingbolt

b

: a pin connecting the two parts of a knuckle joint (as in an automobile steering linkage)

Synonyms

• heavyweight
• heavy
• big
• magnate
• tycoon

Examples of kingpin in a Sentence

kingpins of the movie industry

a police sting that nabbed several kingpins of the city's drug trade

Recent Examples on the Web

Here's everything to know about the former cartel kingpin's life 10 years after the FBI took down his global drug empire. —Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025

College football quarterback to drug kingpin isn’t exactly a typical career path, but that’s exactly what Owen Hanson did. —Barry Levitt, Time, 26 Sep. 2025

Inside the Carnage maze, visitors pass through the warehouse and enter a security room where the clown kingpin urges them to join him now — or die. —Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 25 Sep. 2025

The docuseries explores the rise and fall of Redondo Beach native Owen Hanson, from walk-on to the National Championship-winning USC football team to cocaine kingpin for one of the world’s most dangerous cartels. —Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 20 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1773, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for kingpin

• akin
• auxin
• buckskin
• chagrin
• deerskin
• foreskin
• fuchsin
• herein
• linchpin
• pigskin
• pinyin
• puffin

Kids Definition

kingpin

noun

king·​pin ˈkiŋ-ˌpin 

1

: a pin that stands in the middle of a triangular arrangement of bowling pins

also : headpin

2

: the chief person in a group or undertaking