rainmaker

noun

rain·mak·er ˈrān-ˌmā-kər

: a person who produces or attempts to produce rain by artificial means

: a person (such as a partner in a law firm) who brings in new business

also : a person whose influence can initiate progress or ensure success

rainmaking

ˈrān-ˌmā-kiŋ

noun

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The rainmaker coming in Friday night is set to bring rainfall levels that are more typical for this time of the year, with downtown San Francisco forecast to measure a few hundredths of an inch. —

Gerry Díaz, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 May 2023 Now, in the latest challenge to the art world’s status quo, a team led by former Sotheby’s rainmaker Adam Chinn plans to launch a peer-to-peer digital marketplace later this month that will invite collectors to sell high-end art to each other, directly and anonymously. —

Kelly Crow, WSJ, 5 May 2021 Eta will also be a big rainmaker for South Florida. —

Leigh Morgan, al, 7 Nov. 2020 Executives then had hoped to deliver 20,000 sedans a year, even as the company added capacity for the real rainmaker, the Lucid Gravity SUV. —

Dan Neil, wsj.com, 20 Apr. 2023 This system will follow the path left behind by Friday’s rainmaker, hoisting rain and snow showers across Northern California by Saturday night and into Sunday. —

Gerry Díaz, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Feb. 2023 Emhoff was the convener, the rainmaker, the organized one, the one who saw the future. —

Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2020 Zeta is not expected to be a big rainmaker. —

Jeff Adelson, NOLA.com, 27 Oct. 2020 No major rainmakers, but a few disturbances bring chances for spotty showers at times this week. —

Molly Robey, Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rainmaker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.