Meaning & use
linchpin
A person or thing that is essential to holding together a plan, organization, or system.
See it in a sentence
The head chef is the linchpin of the entire restaurant's daily operation.
Trust between the two nations was the linchpin of the fragile peace agreement.
A note on using this word
Linchpin originally referred to a literal pin that keeps a wheel attached to its axle, and is now mostly used figuratively.
Words with a similar meaning
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