kingmaker

noun

king·​mak·​er ˈkiŋ-ˌmā-kər 

: one having great influence over the choice of candidates for political office

Examples of kingmaker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The savvy Toronto audiences enjoy their festival’s reputation as an Oscar kingmaker, too, so the idea of helping launch Club Kid to an unusual but increasingly plausible Oscar run could appeal to the voters. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026

In a party leadership revamp Wednesday, Takaichi retained a kingmaker and former Prime Minister Taro Aso as LDP vice president, his brother-in-law Shunichi Suzuki as secretary-general and a few of her right-wing allies. — ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

The senior House Democrat became a kingmaker for Biden by giving him momentum heading into Super Tuesday after Biden’s poor showing in the first three states. — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2026

Political analyst Volker Resing said AfD may be able to overcome the firewall after its strong showing in Saxony-Anhalt, with BSW potentially serving as the kingmaker. — Kirsten Grieshaber, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for kingmaker

• blackacre
• caretaker
• clockmaker
• dressmaker
• filmmaker
• homemaker
• icebreaker
• lawmaker
• matchmaker
• pacemaker
• partaker
• peacemaker