kingpin

noun

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

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.
He was found guilty of directing the activities of a street gang, also known as the kingpin statute. Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Feb. 2025 The reason why a small army of goons has suddenly reappeared in his life is Rose (Ariana DeBose, another Oscar winner), a former mob lawyer who worked for Marvin’s kingpin brother, Alvin a.k.a. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025 Smith’s attorneys worked out a deal in which the former Liberty City drug kingpin agreed to a 30-year sentence and pleaded guilty to several counts of second-degree murder and manslaughter for the deaths of Angel Wilson, Cynthia Brown, Leon Hadley and Jackie Pope in the 1990s. Charles Rabin, Miami Herald, 6 Feb. 2025 Beyond military operations, the U.S. sought to weaken FARC's financial networks by targeting its leaders as drug kingpins, pursuing extraditions on narcotics charges for both top leaders and mid-level operatives. John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025 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

Dictionary Entries Near kingpin

Cite this Entry

“Kingpin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kingpin. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!