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 of kingpin

• 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

The Volunteers have been the kingpin of Arlington ISD football the last two seasons, but several squads like Lamar, Arlington Martin and Arlington seem to have made solid offseason progress. — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2026

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

Word History

First Known Use

1773, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for kingpin

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

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