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
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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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Recent Examples of kingpin
The deck comes in six fun designs, while the 125-inch aluminum alloy trucks with carbon steel kingpins and high rebound polyurethane bushings ensure safety and durability.
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Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 23 Sep. 2024
Now the cartel kingpin’s lawyer wants to be a ranchera star.
—Christian Orozco, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2024
To his credit, Pacino knows his drug kingpin Tony Montana is a lot to handle.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 19 Oct. 2024
Ferguson was recently on a video with former UFC flyweight champion and ONE Championship kingpin Demetrious Johnson.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for kingpin 
Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 23 Sep. 2024
Now the cartel kingpin’s lawyer wants to be a ranchera star.
—Christian Orozco, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2024
To his credit, Pacino knows his drug kingpin Tony Montana is a lot to handle.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 19 Oct. 2024
Ferguson was recently on a video with former UFC flyweight champion and ONE Championship kingpin Demetrious Johnson.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for kingpin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kingpin
Noun
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In closed-door meetings, House Speaker Mike Johnson was nominated for the role for his first full term, and Republican senators selected Sen. John Thune to be their next leader.Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
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What happened Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the head of the Church of England and spiritual leader of 85 million Anglicans worldwide, resigned Tuesday amid intense pressure over his handling of a notorious child abuser.Rafi Schwartz, theweek, 13 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Gladiator 2 has Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal as Colosseum-adjacent heavies.Nate Jones, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2024
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With this year's costumes trend predicted to be extra pop-culture heavy, some obvious duo costumes, like Deadpool and Wolverine, come to mind.Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 5 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Venus at the top of your chart guarantees a warm reception with bosses and VIPs.Georgia Nicols, The Denver Post, 13 Nov. 2024
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His short-sighted banishment of a legend — and an earner — like Dwight Manfredi to Tulsa was cited by the other bosses as a reason for his ouster.Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024
Noun
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To further quantity the significance of this, OKC’s only other true big who has played rotational minutes at the NBA level is Jaylin Williams, who is also currently injured and missed the entire preseason.Nick Crain, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
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Dieng has the height at 6-foot-11 but lacks the strength and physicality to compete with more traditional bigs.Nick Crain, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Maritime employers in British Columbia will lock out more than 730 dock foremen across Canada’s West Coast ports Monday afternoon, straining activity at major ports on both sides of the country.Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 4 Nov. 2024
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The foreman is unlucky to be found by Hansu, who is infuriated not only with him but with himself.Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 13 Sep. 2024
Noun
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James Dyson, the business magnate behind electronics giant Dyson, slammed Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s measures to increase taxes, including on the inheritance of farmland worth above £1 million in value.BYPrarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 4 Nov. 2024
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Trump has taken up an idea floated by Musk to create a government efficiency commission, and said the tech magnate would be a big part of the commission.Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Allison went to college and eventually got her masters at the New School.Bethy Squires, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2024
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She’s gone back to school and is considering studying for a master’s in immunology.Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The state has been a bastion of anti-Trump sentiment ever since the bombastic billionaire real estate tycoon first ventured into politics nearly a decade ago.Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
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In addition to developing a loyal cluster of Silicon Valley tycoon customers, from LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman to Salesforce founder Marc Benioff and Amazon honcho Jeff Bezos, several Hollywood celebrities have been wearing the brand.Luisa Zargani, WWD, 29 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Kingpin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kingpin. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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