kingpin

noun

king·​pin ˈkiŋ-ˌpin How to pronounce kingpin (audio)
Synonyms of kingpin
1
: the chief person in a group or undertaking
2
: any of several bowling pins: such as
a
: headpin
b
: the pin that stands in the middle of a triangular arrangement of bowling pins
3
a
: kingbolt
b
: a pin connecting the two parts of a knuckle joint (as in an automobile steering linkage)

Synonyms of kingpin

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Examples of kingpin in a Sentence

kingpins of the movie industry a police sting that nabbed several kingpins of the city's drug trade
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Hollywell approached the landlord, a 70-something weed kingpin and car repairman who ran the entire block, to buy the house with his life savings. — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026 The Bureau of Prisons denied circulating reports that Combs had gotten into a fight with a prominent drug kingpin. — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026 Despite capturing powerful kingpins like Macías Villamar, and deploying the military to patrol some cities, Ecuador is struggling to contain drug violence. — ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026 But unlike the infamous Colombian kingpin, who flooded American cities with cocaine in the 1970s and ‘80s, there is little evidence to show Marset ever moved any product to the United States. — Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for kingpin

Word History

First Known Use

1773, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of kingpin was in 1773

Rhymes for kingpin

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Browse Nearby Words

king penguin
kingpin
king plank
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kingpin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kingpin. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

kingpin

noun
king·​pin ˈkiŋ-ˌpin How to pronounce kingpin (audio)
1
: a pin that stands in the middle of a triangular arrangement of bowling pins
also : headpin
2
: the chief person in a group or undertaking
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