kingmaker

noun

king·​mak·​er ˈkiŋ-ˌmā-kər How to pronounce kingmaker (audio)
: one having great influence over the choice of candidates for political office

Examples of kingmaker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Trump has separately been positioning himself as kingmaker on high-profile transactions. Michelle F. Davis, Fortune, 15 Dec. 2025 The bickering survivors of the Canterbury, led by reluctant captain Jim Holden (Steven Strait), become an unlikely band of freedom fighters/kingmakers after commandeering a Martian warship and rebranding it as the Rocinante (named after Don Quixote's horse). Richard Edwards, Space.com, 14 Dec. 2025 The many Saturday Night Live books out there treat Lorne Michaels delicately, following the lead of show alumni who harbor a mixture of fear of, intimidation by, and paternal love for the comedy kingmaker. Brian Boone, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025 This keen, curatorial sense is what made Lawson something of a kingmaker in his field, introducing local darlings like Family Farmstead Dairy and Jalapa Jar to the masses. Mara Weinraub, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for kingmaker

Word History

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kingmaker was in 1595

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Cite this Entry

“Kingmaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kingmaker. Accessed 28 Dec. 2025.

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