lynchpin
noun
lynch·pin
less common spelling of linchpin
1
: a locking pin inserted crosswise (as through the end of an axle or shaft)
2
: one that serves to hold together parts or elements that exist or function as a unit
the linchpin in the defense's case
Examples of lynchpin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And David Yannetti — Read's Boston lawyer and the local lynchpin — may have the most to gain.
—
Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2025
Andrew Cuomo The lynchpin of Cuomo’s safety pitch is hiring 5,000 new cops to bring NYPD staffing to 1990s levels and doubling the number of officers patrolling the subways to 4,000.
—Téa Kvetenadze, New York Daily News, 17 June 2025
The lynchpin of this success, advocates say, has been the outsized contribution by pharmaceutical firms of free medicines to ministries of health in countries where these NTDs are a heavy burden.
—Patrick Adams, NPR, 5 June 2025
Had a similar injury struck in any of the previous three seasons, losing their defensive lynchpin would have felt like a disaster.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lynchpin
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 19 June 2025
Andrew Cuomo The lynchpin of Cuomo’s safety pitch is hiring 5,000 new cops to bring NYPD staffing to 1990s levels and doubling the number of officers patrolling the subways to 4,000.
—Téa Kvetenadze, New York Daily News, 17 June 2025
The lynchpin of this success, advocates say, has been the outsized contribution by pharmaceutical firms of free medicines to ministries of health in countries where these NTDs are a heavy burden.
—Patrick Adams, NPR, 5 June 2025
Had a similar injury struck in any of the previous three seasons, losing their defensive lynchpin would have felt like a disaster.
—Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lynchpin
Cite this Entry
“Lynchpin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lynchpin. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share