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

• big
• big boy
• big cheese
• big gun
• big leaguer
• big shot
• big wheel
• big-timer
• bigfoot
• biggie
• bigwig
• fat cat
• heavy
• heavy hitter
• heavyweight
• high-muck-a-muck
• high-muckety-muck
• honcho
• kahuna
• kingfish
• major leaguer
• muckety-muck
• muck-a-muck
• mucky-muck
• nabob
• nawab
• nibs
• nob [chiefly British]
• pooh-bah
• poo-bah
• wheel

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

Public accusations of cocaine use is apparently a bridge too far for reality TV kingpin Andy Cohen. —Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2024

Most Ukrainians are fed up with the Party of Regions' ostentatious wealth and growing abuse of office, especially in the provinces, where local kingpins behave like pashas. —Rajan Menon, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2011

Now the cartel kingpin’s lawyer wants to be a ranchera star June 20, 2024 The area is a prime trafficking corridor for cocaine from South America as well as migrants from across the world who enter Mexico from Central America en route to the United States. —Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2024

Shamo was convicted of a kingpin charge and sentenced to serve life in federal prison. —Paul Solotaroff, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1773, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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