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kingpin
noun
king·pin
ˈkiŋ-ˌpin
Synonyms
- big
- big boy
- big cheese
- big gun
- big leaguer
- big shot
- big wheel
- big-timer
- bigfoot
- biggie
- bigwig
- fat cat
- heavy
- heavy hitter
- heavyweight
- high-muck-a-muck
- high-muckety-muck
- honcho
- kahuna
- kingfish
- major leaguer
- muckety-muck
- muck-a-muck
- mucky-muck
- nabob
- nawab
- nibs
- nob [chiefly British]
- pooh-bah
- poo-bah
- wheel
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
Ghost, the actress plays Tasha, the wife of nightclub owner and drug kingpin James ‘Ghost’ St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick), who as a savvy and resourceful individual, is heavily involved in her husband’s drug empire.
—
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 Dec. 2024
By killing Victor, Oz rids himself of all meaningful connections to his past, fortifying his ascension to Gotham kingpin in solitude.
—
Andy Andersen, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024
Playing the murderous, thuggish drug kingpin required careful thought and training on what vocal register to use, how to move and carry the body in ways that noticeably differentiated him from Emilia’s character, Gascon said.
—
David Bloom, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Yan won the vacant UFC bantamweight belt by trouncing former UFC featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo in July 2020.
—
Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1773, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Articles Related to kingpin
Dictionary Entries Near kingpin
Cite this Entry
“Kingpin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kingpin. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
kingpin
noun
king·pin
ˈkiŋ-ˌpin
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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