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 state’s inability to present an airtight case for Thug as kingpin says a RICO charge can demonize defendants by implicating them in bigger crimes than prosecutors are able to immediately prove, jamming up livelihoods and breaking up families.
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Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
Bravo kingpin Andy Cohen acknowledges that his blockbuster Real Housewives reality franchise is a direct descendant of the comedy-drama.
—Charlotte Collins, Architectural Digest, 3 Oct. 2024
In the over-the-top new melodrama from French writer-director Jacques Audiard (Rust and Bone, A Prophet), Gascón plays a dangerous Mexico City drug kingpin named Manitas who undergoes gender-affirming surgery to fulfill his dream of being a woman, becoming the titular Emilia.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2024
The cartel, which is run by a kingpin called El Padre, operates near the California/Mexico border, so between that and the private aircraft tracks in the field nearby, the working theory is that Torres is on his way to the West Coast.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for kingpin 
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
Bravo kingpin Andy Cohen acknowledges that his blockbuster Real Housewives reality franchise is a direct descendant of the comedy-drama.
—Charlotte Collins, Architectural Digest, 3 Oct. 2024
In the over-the-top new melodrama from French writer-director Jacques Audiard (Rust and Bone, A Prophet), Gascón plays a dangerous Mexico City drug kingpin named Manitas who undergoes gender-affirming surgery to fulfill his dream of being a woman, becoming the titular Emilia.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2024
The cartel, which is run by a kingpin called El Padre, operates near the California/Mexico border, so between that and the private aircraft tracks in the field nearby, the working theory is that Torres is on his way to the West Coast.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for kingpin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kingpin
Noun
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The agencies' leaders are chosen by state governments, as was the case in Illinois, where Director Heidi E. Mueller was appointed by Gov. JB Pritzker.Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY, 28 Nov. 2024
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On September 27, Israel killed Hezbollah’s long-time leader Nasrallah in a massive attack in the southern suburbs of Beirut, upending the truce talks.Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 27 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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Struggling to a penalty shootout win over League 2 Walsall at the end of September, the fans emphasized that the former Forest boss would be singled out when things weren't going well.Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024
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This group includes many millennial and Gen X staffers, who may escape the careful eye of bosses looking to nurture talent elsewhere.Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2024
Noun
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To wit, the team is apparently circling Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler as a potential backup big to accent All-NBA Second Teamer Anthony Davis.Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
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Cross-country City Section and Southern Section teams continue to prepare for the big meets ahead in cross-country.Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Chance has one assistant foreman who works year-round and up to eight employees who help around the holiday season.Brennan Stewart, Baltimore Sun, 27 Nov. 2024
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Carter’s team included Egyptian foremen Ahmed Gerigar, Gad Hassan, Hussein Abu Awad and Hussein Ahmed, who have typically been excluded from histories of the tomb’s discovery.Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The criminal indictment follows the meteoric rise of Adani as a magnate on the global stage.Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 21 Nov. 2024
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McMahon is a professional wrestling magnate who ran two unsuccessful campaigns for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut.Jonaki Mehta, NPR, 19 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Hormones act as the body’s master regulators, influencing everything from metabolism and energy to mood and immune function.Priya Oberoi, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024
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Báez-Mendoza was born in Mexico City, got his master's in Tübingen, Germany, his Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge in the U.K., then worked (under an H-1B visa) as a postdoctoral researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard before returning to Germany.Jon Hamilton, NPR, 21 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Harold Hamm: The oil tycoon—worth $18.5 billion—reportedly raised money for Trump, and has been involved in the transition, pushing to undo Biden-era electric car credits.Joe Walsh, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024
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The charges accuse the 62-year-old tycoon of duping investors through a massive solar energy project in India, which allegedly involved bribery schemes.Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Kingpin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kingpin. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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