1
as in heavyweights
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 leaders
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 kingpins
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
The same goes for Georgia and Ohio State and several other current kingpins.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025
So how about De Niro playing not one but two Mafia kingpins in the same movie?
—Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
Crypto kingpins rubbing elbows with the president and the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission?
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025
The last season left off with Rue owing kingpins a couple of g’s without resolving that major story line.
—Zoe Guy, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2025
Beneath the criminal hierarchy of kingpins, middlemen, and trigger pullers is a vast network of supporters greasing the wheels.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 16 Jan. 2025
De Niro stars in a double role as both mob bosses Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, real-life kingpins of New York’s Genovese crime family.
—Sophia Scorziello, Variety, 14 Jan. 2025
In Myanmar’s borderlands, criminal networks that unite Chinese kingpins with ethnic warlords are kidnapping people from all over the globe to toil in factories that scam people online.
—Hannah Beech, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Aug. 2025
The same goes for Georgia and Ohio State and several other current kingpins.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025
So how about De Niro playing not one but two Mafia kingpins in the same movie?
—Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025
Crypto kingpins rubbing elbows with the president and the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission?
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025
The last season left off with Rue owing kingpins a couple of g’s without resolving that major story line.
—Zoe Guy, Vulture, 10 Feb. 2025
Beneath the criminal hierarchy of kingpins, middlemen, and trigger pullers is a vast network of supporters greasing the wheels.
—Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 16 Jan. 2025
De Niro stars in a double role as both mob bosses Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, real-life kingpins of New York’s Genovese crime family.
—Sophia Scorziello, Variety, 14 Jan. 2025
In Myanmar’s borderlands, criminal networks that unite Chinese kingpins with ethnic warlords are kidnapping people from all over the globe to toil in factories that scam people online.
—Hannah Beech, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kingpins
Noun
-
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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From groundbreaking advances in AI and robotics to ambitious new products from industry heavyweights like Dyson, Lenovo, and Samsung, this year’s show was packed with tech that feels both exciting and forward-looking.—
PCMag Staff,
PC Magazine,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The plans and the construction underway have come as welcome news to community leaders who have long been trying to preserve the history of Pan Am.—
Vinod Sreeharsha,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Government leaders in Montgomery County, Maryland, have set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2027, and 100 percent by 2035.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Waiving Bradley without seeing how healthy those two bigs are would be irresponsible.—
Tony East,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Now he’s been tasked by his corporate bosses with reviving the Toledo Truth Teller — with a staff that knows nothing about journalism.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
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Hornet will have to navigate this vast, interconnected world filled with enemies, bosses and intricate environments to find her way back home.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
For years after that, TCU alums who had served as Ranch Week foremen or queen would proudly include it on resumes, in professional biographies or when running for office.—
Matt Leclercq,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Make sure the tires reconnect with the road - During the skid, wait until the tires reconnect with the road and then gently straighten the wheels to regain control.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Included in the sale is the Meridian Carry-on, which measures 14 inches wide and 22 inches tall, wheels included.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Back then, though, Ansari was still learning from a crew of other comedy masters — Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Adam Scott, to name a few — when he was cast in 2008 on Parks and Recreation, the follow-up sitcom from the showrunners of NBC’s The Office.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The school offers two-year masters degrees for prospective clergy in several Christian denominations, including Reformed and Presbyterian churches.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Transport yourself back in time to the days where kings and queens ruled, and see over 100 daily shows.—
Caroline Ritzie,
The Enquirer,
3 Sep. 2025
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Sitting for a portrait was once reserved for the elite, with kings, queens, and nobility commissioning grand works to immortalize themselves and assert their authority.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kingpins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kingpins. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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