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
Fakroune is accused of posing as Angelino Escobar, the son of the famed Columbian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, and lying to people about his connections to nonexistent Italian mafiosos to ensure payback on his loans.
—
Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Though Miguel is shot in the leg during the surprise attack, Tommy and his men come out on top, and Jenard's team abandons him to work for Chicago's new kingpin.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
And then when the Conan Harris-type drug kingpin finally did get lugged and charged with trafficking 27 pounds of cocaine, Maura cut him a check for $31,000 and then claimed that, like Sgt.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
The final season follows the New York kingpin's journey to build a fortified drug empire in Chicago.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for kingpin
Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
Though Miguel is shot in the leg during the surprise attack, Tommy and his men come out on top, and Jenard's team abandons him to work for Chicago's new kingpin.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
And then when the Conan Harris-type drug kingpin finally did get lugged and charged with trafficking 27 pounds of cocaine, Maura cut him a check for $31,000 and then claimed that, like Sgt.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 9 Jan. 2026
The final season follows the New York kingpin's journey to build a fortified drug empire in Chicago.
—Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for kingpin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kingpin
Noun
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Bores, once an engineer at Palantir (the AI company involved in helping ICE), has earned the ire of his former bosses, and other tech bro heavyweights, by forcefully campaigning on regulation.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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Here, that body includes an array of West Coast jazz heavyweights, including Carlos Niño on percussion; Nate Mercereau on guitar, percussion, and wind; and Sam Reid and Jamael Dean, both on piano.—
Linnie Greene,
Pitchfork,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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After deliberations stretching across three weeks, the Sacramento City Council appointed Tuesday a new leader for a local agency tasked with overseeing public housing.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
18 Feb. 2026
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With Jackson’s death Tuesday, leaders across the region reflected on a legacy that helped shape a generation of local activism and public service — none more so than Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, a close friend for more than five decades.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
These figures place the organic prototype within the performance envelope of conventional lithium-ion batteries, while introducing a new materials platform based on organic chemistry rather than metal-heavy cathodes, CarNewsChina writes.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Feb. 2026
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Brian Dennehy played the heavy in it.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Liberal Democrats who despised Daley as a corrupt big-city boss hailed Jackson as a hero.—
Johanna Neuman,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Emma Laird is Shannon, this outwardly confident daughter of a crime boss, who is desperate to find real love.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Miller and Crawford are closer than ever to the bigs.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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Booker stood up to the Boilermakers’ bigs, blocking three shots of his own, playing a season-high 35 minutes three days after being iced out of the rotation against the Buckeyes.—
Aaron Heisen,
Daily News,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The shop foreman has taken multiple test drives and acknowledged the whistling.—
John Paul,
The Providence Journal,
13 Feb. 2026
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Rebecca will also meet Tom's foreman, Nash McCabe (Brad Abramenko), and his wife, Peggy (Chelsea Hobbs).—
Breanne L. Heldman,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The host of 'Catching the Codfather' explains why his new podcast about a notorious fishing magnate is really about regulation, science, and the American dream.—
Abigail Wise,
Outside,
13 Feb. 2026
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Casino magnate Neil Bluhm and his family’s foundation are donating another $50 million to Northwestern Medicine to further expand and support cardiac care.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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They were carved with patriotic love by a Texas sculptor who studied in Paris under a French modern master and envisioned as the polished centerpieces of a $10 million park, but now sit in a Virginia field as an offbeat, reservations-only, roadside tourist draw.—
Danielle Paquette The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
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Rick likens his son’s interactions with the media to those of Bill Belichick, the legendary football coach and master of the monosyllabic press conference.—
Tom Kludt,
Vanity Fair,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kingpin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kingpin. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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