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 enduring alliance between the bazaaris and the clergy in Iran had the shopkeepers play a crucial role as kingmaker across Iran’s history.
—
Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for kingmaker
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Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for kingmaker
Cite this Entry
“Kingmaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kingmaker. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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