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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kingpin
Now, nearly a decade later, Hamza is in the inner circle as the kingpin of the Baloch gang that rules the city of Karachi.
—
Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Just when the officers come up with a plan to arrest Carter and Hakan for their respective drug empires, the kingpins start to become suspicious of their team members and become convinced that they've been infiltrated.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
The Milanese fashion kingpin was born in Reggio Calabria and began his career at his mother's dressmaking atelier.
—Lee Marshall, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 May 2026
Each of the three episodes focuses on a different personality, from vicious kingpin Klaas Bruinsma to Ecstasy-milling married couple Johan and Brenda Toet.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for kingpin
Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Just when the officers come up with a plan to arrest Carter and Hakan for their respective drug empires, the kingpins start to become suspicious of their team members and become convinced that they've been infiltrated.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026
The Milanese fashion kingpin was born in Reggio Calabria and began his career at his mother's dressmaking atelier.
—Lee Marshall, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 May 2026
Each of the three episodes focuses on a different personality, from vicious kingpin Klaas Bruinsma to Ecstasy-milling married couple Johan and Brenda Toet.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for kingpin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kingpin
Noun
-
South Korea's Kospi is bearing the brunt of the selling, with heavyweights Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix deeply in the red.—
Katie Foley,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
-
The 2026 gubernatorial primary has been one of the most unpredictable and expensive in decades and a race that was shaped early on by a number of heavyweight Democrats staying on the sidelines.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The playoff leader in goals, Howden had a beautiful tip on a shot by Theodore for his 11th of the playoffs and perhaps his most important in Game 1.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
-
In 1940, French President General Charles de Gaulle checked in to conduct war meetings with US and British leaders.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The morning meal is becoming the most protein-heavy of the day in many homes, a notable change from the carb-forward cereals and pastries that once defined the American breakfast table.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
4 June 2026
-
Even the tech-heavy Nasdaq made it into positive territory.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Assuming, of course, those staffers don’t emulate Pelley and strongly and sharply disagree or challenge their boss in an internal staff meeting.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
-
The space includes table football, board and video games, and staff can arrange certain special activities of which the parents of the youngsters involved might be more than a little jealous, among them sushi masterclasses with Mitsuru Tsukada, the boss of Izumi.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Spurs bigs Tim Duncan and David Robinson were dominant in Ewing’s absence.—
Esfandiar Baraheni,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
-
There are a few free agent bigs who are probably out of Denver’s price range (Mitchell Robinson, Robert Williams III, Kristaps Porzingis).—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Sting plays Jackie White, a shipyard foreman whose health is deteriorating at the moment his community needs him most.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
28 May 2026
-
The truck just leans into the work and gets on with life like a ranch foreman who drinks coffee black and silently judges your hitch setup.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
27 May 2026
Noun
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Whether the 72-year-old logistics magnate really views that as feasible is a fascinating question.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
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Nanjiani also gets to show off his ping pong skills against Fred Armisen, who plays casino magnate and money launderer Max Sugar.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
28 May 2026
Noun
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The hotel offers an exclusive excursion to the nearby home of the late master perfumer Serge Lutens, which is not open to the public and does not allow photos.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Judith graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from the Ohio State University and later earned a master’s degree at Northwestern University.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kingpin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kingpin. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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