ringleader

noun

ring·lead·er | \ ˈriŋ-ˌlē-dər

Definition of ringleader

: a leader of a ring of individuals engaged especially in improper or unlawful activities

Examples of ringleader in a Sentence

the ringleader of a gang of criminals

Recent Examples on the Web

Ellen Montanari, the 64-year-old ringleader, ignored Hasty. — Christine Mai-duc, latimes.com, "They came for Darrell Issa. They stayed with their inflatable chicken, blue wall and cakes for political therapy," 25 Apr. 2018 McIntosh helped prosecutors build a case against her mother, Linda Weston, the ringleader of the group that held victims captive for years in a cramped basement in the plan to steal more than $200,000 in government benefits. — Fox News, "Street preacher gets 27 years in 'Basement of Horrors' case," 13 Sep. 2018 Spanish prosecutors have charged the ringleaders of last autumn’s unauthorized referendum and subsequent declaration of independence with rebellion against the Spanish state. — Jeannette Neumann, WSJ, "Catalonia Reminds Spain What Many Still Want: Independence," 11 Sep. 2018 Hill, described by prosecutors as the ringleader, pleaded guilty last week to the same charges and was sentenced to eight years in prison. — Megan Crepeau, chicagotribune.com, "Last of 4 defendants pleads guilty to beating teen with disability in livestreamed Facebook attack," 12 July 2018 Now, of course today, the ringleader of all the anti-Trump hatred is not on other than Congresswoman Maxine Waters, the head of the Democratic Party. — Fox News, "Andy McCarthy, Joe diGenova preview Peter Strzok's testimony," 27 June 2018 Even the film’s ringleader, a talented songwriter and performer named Mike, seems to gradually wilt over the course of the film, becoming less assertive and creative in both his artistic and personal life. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "This year’s Cannes Film Festival was a plea against complacency," 18 May 2018 The infamous Kentucky bourbon theft ring finally comes to a close after its ringleader gets sentenced to prison. — Bailey Loosemore, The Courier-Journal, "Kentucky wants to drink bourbon for its birthday - not worry about it," 1 June 2018 Sixteen other men, including ringleader Matthew Tedesco, Atlantic City Firefighter Michael Pepper, and Margate Firefighter Michael Sher, have pleaded guilty. — Amy S. Rosenberg, Philly.com, "South Jersey teacher, salesman, plead guilty in Shore health benefits scam," 26 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ringleader.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.