1
as in heavyweight
one of high position or importance within a group
a police sting that nabbed several kingpins of the city's drug trade
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in leader
the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells people and especially workers what to do
finally nailed the mob kingpin who had been controlling all the gambling rackets in the city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of kingpin
Leo plays a hot-shot CIA operative trying to track a shadowy terrorist kingpin through Iraq and Jordan.
—
Tim Grierson, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
Inside the Carnage maze, visitors pass through the warehouse and enter a security room where the clown kingpin urges them to join him now — or die.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 25 Sep. 2025
The docuseries explores the rise and fall of Redondo Beach native Owen Hanson, from walk-on to the National Championship-winning USC football team to cocaine kingpin for one of the world’s most dangerous cartels.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 20 Sep. 2025
Another 22 billionaires returned to the ranking after dropping off the list in a previous year, including crypto kingpins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss and stock trading app Robinhood’s Baiju Bhatt.
—Thomas Gallagher, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kingpin
Tim Grierson, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
Inside the Carnage maze, visitors pass through the warehouse and enter a security room where the clown kingpin urges them to join him now — or die.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 25 Sep. 2025
The docuseries explores the rise and fall of Redondo Beach native Owen Hanson, from walk-on to the National Championship-winning USC football team to cocaine kingpin for one of the world’s most dangerous cartels.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 20 Sep. 2025
Another 22 billionaires returned to the ranking after dropping off the list in a previous year, including crypto kingpins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss and stock trading app Robinhood’s Baiju Bhatt.
—Thomas Gallagher, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kingpin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kingpin
Noun
-
Why the disparity in box office results between the social media heavyweights?—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Rountree shared his thoughts on how Pereira would perform as a heavyweight.—
Fernando Quiles Jr,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The pace of change described in this new research may be the hardest challenge for business leaders.—
Geoff Colvin,
Fortune,
10 Oct. 2025
-
On Thursday, city leaders, friends, family and former colleagues spoke about the importance of Morrow’s work for the Black community and San Diego.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Of all the runway shows during Paris Fashion Week, no front row is as buzzy and celeb-heavy as Dior's.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
1 Oct. 2025
-
In February, Mayor Harrell, at the behest of local heavies such as Amazon and Microsoft, led the opposition to a referendum on another tax on those companies which would help pay for public, mixed-income housing in a city that desperately needs it.—
Bill McKibben,
New Yorker,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
While Mandy is thrilled about her promotion — and her popularity among viewers — Georgie is furious to learn that her boss, Scott (Christopher Gorham), is also her ex.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Oct. 2025
-
When Dan Jackson took the reins of the Austin, Texas, police department’s unsolved homicide unit in 2022, his boss approached the detective with a sense of urgency.—
Jean Casarez,
CNN Money,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Some of those bigs will be better as middle-of-the-floor centers, while others will be able to play alongside those centers as power forwards.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
That means if Earth were the size of a nickel, Saturn would be as a big as a volleyball.—
John Tufts,
IndyStar,
21 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Former town employee John Nikoloff, a former working foreman for the municipal water company, said the town typically flushes hydrants twice a year, in the spring and again in the fall.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Melchor was a foreman on a sugarcane plantation, and Luisa was a laundress.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Designer Joe Nahem creatively combined two units at the Continuum South Beach for the late real estate magnate and eight-time Tony-winning Broadway producer Luigi Caiola.—
Mark David,
Robb Report,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Known as the Uplands Mansion, the palatial home was built in 1917 for the grandson for railroad magnate Charles Crocker.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Hearing about a shoe designer getting more attention than a professional athlete, Boyle remembered his own company’s involvement with a master of the craft.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
7 Oct. 2025
-
This Levoit is down 30%, and a master of hair and fur removal.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kingpin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kingpin. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share