Meaning & use
kingpin
The most important person controlling an organization or activity, especially an illegal one.
See it in a sentence
Police finally arrested the kingpin behind the city's largest smuggling operation.
Without its kingpin, the crime ring quickly fell apart within a few months.
A note on using this word
Kingpin originally named the central pin in bowling or a vehicle's steering, which is why it now suggests someone central to a whole operation.
Words with a similar meaning
ringleaderboss
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. noun
A main bolt or pin, especially one that lets a vehicle's front axle pivot when steering.
A worn kingpin caused the truck's front wheels to wobble at high speed.
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