linchpin

noun

linch·pin ˈlinch-ˌpin

variants or less commonly lynchpin

: a locking pin inserted crosswise (as through the end of an axle or shaft)

: one that serves to hold together parts or elements that exist or function as a unit

the linchpin in the defense's case

Did you know?

In his 1857 novel, Tom Brown’s School Days, Thomas Hughes describes the “cowardly” custom of “taking the linch-pins out of the farmers’ and bagmens’ gigs at the fairs.” The linchpin in question held the wheel on the carriage, and removing it made it likely that the wheel would come off as the vehicle moved. Such a pin was called a lynis in Old English; Middle English speakers added pin to form lynspin. By the early 20th century, English speakers were using linchpin for anything as critical to a complex situation as a linchpin is to a wagon, as when Winston Churchill, in 1930, wrote of Canada and the role it played in the relationship between Great Britain and the United States, that “no state, no country, no band of men can more truly be described as the linchpin of peace and world progress.”

Examples of linchpin in a Sentence

This witness is the linchpin of the defense's case.

Recent Examples on the Web

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Stephenie Stewart, the longtime manager whom McClelland described as the linchpin of the whole place, has luckily stuck around to keep the show running and to maintain the vibe after the ownership change. —

Allison Dikanovic, Kansas City Star, 2 Jan. 2025 These facilities are the linchpins of the digital economy, enabling low-latency and high-throughput processing. —

Emil Sayegh, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024 Popular on Variety The Times reported that Rupert Murdoch has in recent years wanted to maintain the conservative leanings of his media empire, particularly at Fox News, which has become the economic linchpin of Fox Corp. —

Brian Steinberg, Variety, 9 Dec. 2024 Helene dismantled farming operations that serve as linchpins for the nation’s food supply chain. —

Ayurella Horn-Muller / Grist, Quartz, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for linchpin