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
Fentanyl kingpin pleads guilty to flooding the United States with killer drug.
—
Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
Described as cocaine kingpins and convicted of a non-violent drug conspiracy, the brothers had been in prison since the mid-1990s, according to NBC DFW.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Aug. 2025
Not everyone can relate to being part of a drug kingpin family.
—Giana Levy, Variety, 16 Aug. 2025
The same goes for Georgia and Ohio State and several other current kingpins.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kingpin
Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
Described as cocaine kingpins and convicted of a non-violent drug conspiracy, the brothers had been in prison since the mid-1990s, according to NBC DFW.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Aug. 2025
Not everyone can relate to being part of a drug kingpin family.
—Giana Levy, Variety, 16 Aug. 2025
The same goes for Georgia and Ohio State and several other current kingpins.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kingpin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kingpin
Noun
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Breckin Meyer and Mark-Paul Gosselaar led the legal comedy alongside several TV heavyweights.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
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And this is a classic 'High Noon' toe-to-toe showdown-at-the-corral heavyweight fight.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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County waste managers and leaders hope proposals from emerging companies will help residents better understand how to sort waste properly and reduce landfill use.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
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Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, OpenAI founder Sam Altman, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai were among the top tech leaders at the dinner.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Previously home to a long-standing restaurant called Andiamo, the space had a dark, wood-heavy aesthetic.—
Amanda Lauren,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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That something special largely comes from a heavy, spitting topspin forehand that dovetails with an aggressive backhand slice — the result of Tjen growing up idolizing three-time Grand Slam champion Ash Barty.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Dudek got the job, wittingly or not, through an end-run around his bosses.—
Eli Hager,
ProPublica,
8 Sep. 2025
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Companies responded by jettisoning a few mean executives, changing their internal communications strategies, and retraining bosses to be nicer.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Making things sweeter, Stubbs was called to the bigs on the same day his brother Garrett, who has played in 192 major league games over six seasons with the Astros and Phillies, was called up to the big leagues by Philadelphia.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
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That changes the spacing for the bigs, who have to work in tighter confines without Cunningham and eventually Clark pulling defenders out of the paint.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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On a white-run construction site in West Africa, an edgy, tightly wound foreman anxiously awaits his bride.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
4 Sep. 2025
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Set on a white-run construction site in West Africa, the story follows an edgy foreman anxiously awaiting his bride, whose presence meets resistance from a cocksure engineer clinging to the hyper-masculine status quo.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The same goes for the Miami Dolphins’ Stephen Ross, a real estate magnate who was flat year-over-year and is worth $17 billion.—
Justin Birnbaum,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Charnvirakul, a construction magnate, succeeds Paetongtarn Shinawatra, a member of the powerful Shinawatra family who was suspended in July after a phone call with a former Cambodian leader was leaked.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Merging with Teck will almost certainly be the master stroke in removing it from any plans by BHP to return with a fresh offer for Anglo American.—
Tim Treadgold,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Moreover, Southern bakers have been perfecting this treat for generations, and our recipe masters the most classic version, staying largely the same since its first appearances in our annual Southern Living cookbooks as early as the 1960s and 1970s.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kingpin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kingpin. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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