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
Mace arrived ready to be the deep-lying midfield lynchpin Everton needed.
—
Megan Feringa, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Watson is a question mark to even be available for Game 1, but Gordon is a true lynchpin for Denver.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 15 Apr. 2026
Almost no European ally believes the president’s assertion, the lynchpin of his justification for starting the war, that Iranian nuclear ambitions posed an imminent threat to either Israel or the West.
—Max Hastings, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2026
The neuromodulator brand has become a noun, a verb, and a cultural lynchpin.
—Fiorella Valdesolo, Allure, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lynchpin
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Megan Feringa, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Watson is a question mark to even be available for Game 1, but Gordon is a true lynchpin for Denver.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 15 Apr. 2026
Almost no European ally believes the president’s assertion, the lynchpin of his justification for starting the war, that Iranian nuclear ambitions posed an imminent threat to either Israel or the West.
—Max Hastings, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2026
The neuromodulator brand has become a noun, a verb, and a cultural lynchpin.
—Fiorella Valdesolo, Allure, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lynchpin
Cite this Entry
“Lynchpin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lynchpin. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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