kingmaker

noun

king·​mak·​er ˈkiŋ-ˌmā-kər How to pronounce kingmaker (audio)
: one having great influence over the choice of candidates for political office

Examples of kingmaker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In a down year for the NFC West, the Seattle Seahawks lead the pack at 8-5 and, with the four division rivals playing one another down the stretch, could prove kingmakers. Ben Morse, CNN, 15 Dec. 2024 Charlie Kirk is the right’s new kingmaker In many cases, the two factions detest wokeness in the same specific ways. Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025 The big picture: Dougherty had been a political kingmaker in Philadelphia and state politics for decades before getting indicted in 2019. Mike D'onofrio, Axios, 11 July 2024 There’s no question the Covid pandemic made kingmakers out of many manufacturers that play in the outdoor cooking space. Tim Clark, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for kingmaker

Word History

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kingmaker was in 1595

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Cite this Entry

“Kingmaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kingmaker. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

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