KINGPINS Synonyms: 120 Similar and Opposite Words

kingpins

noun

plural of kingpin

as in heavyweights

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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as in leaders

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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of kingpins The track, which calls to mind the Killers and other kingpins of synth-rock, is also a preview of New Translations’ forthcoming album, the follow-up to their 2025 debut Vacation. — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026 The children of cartel kingpins enrolled in the city’s top prep schools. — Kevin Sieff, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026 Their videos work as a modern take on the narcocorridos – ballads about the trafficking underworld that drug kingpins used to praise themselves and communicate with each other, said security expert Alexei Chévez. — Rey Rodríguez, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026 Premiering in 2002, the crime drama depicted life on the streets of Baltimore with uncompromising realism, following a sprawling cast of characters from police officers to drug kingpins. — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 2 June 2026 The life-and-death stakes were raised when the former high school series jumped five years to show a now-young adult Rue becoming a drug mule and working for rival kingpins (Martha Kelly’s Laurie also took her own life in the finale). — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026 The notorious hotspot, now a luxury property, was a fave hangout of violent kingpins, hard-living celebs, dirty cops and crooked politicians. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 22 May 2026 New concepts abound as TV-news kingpins work to meet younger viewers in new environments. — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 19 May 2026 Just when the officers come up with a plan to arrest Carter and Hakan for their respective drug empires, the kingpins start to become suspicious of their team members and become convinced that they've been infiltrated. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 12 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for kingpins

Noun

How would Leading Change be able to knock heads against the heavyweights of the division at a mile and a quarter distance?

— Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
In the same interview, the singer explained why she wasn’t daunted by the prospect of acting alongside Oscar-winning heavyweights like Jane Fonda and Field.

— Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of heavyweights

Noun

Whereas many tech leaders have, like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, touted the benefits of AI, many have also expressed concern about its perils.

— Reuters, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026
Several Kansas City community leaders are calling for residents to have a meaningful role in selecting the city’s next police chief, weeks after Stacey Graves announced plans to retire next year.

— Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of leaders

Noun

The album also features cameos by heavies from Gojira, Lamb of God, Queens of the Stone Age, and Clutch.

— Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
In any year, in any culture, there are no antagonists (save for Nazis) better suited as action cinema heavies; rooting against child trafficking lowlifes is moral, easy, and best of all, a completely guiltless pleasure.

— Andy Crump, IndieWire, 15 June 2026

Definition of heavies

Noun

Customers were very important; workers, foremen.

— Michael Kilian, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
For years after that, TCU alums who had served as Ranch Week foremen or queen would proudly include it on resumes, in professional biographies or when running for office.

— Matt Leclercq, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Aug. 2025

Definition of foremen

Noun

Electricity travels from the rotating wheels through a custom conductive hub to a solar controller built into the frame.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Sep. 2026
Early bird prices for the device, which resembles a GoPro on wheels, start at $549, with shipping scheduled to begin in October.

— Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of wheels

Noun

He was born in Hialeah and went to the University of Miami and later received masters degrees in criminal justice and public administration from Florida International University.

— Gray Rohrer, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026
Mixed doubles showcases one of tennis’ greatest strengths — seeing the best athletes in the world share a court — but this version of it also pits the masters of a discipline against the biggest stars of a sport.

— James Hansen, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of masters

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“Kingpins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kingpins. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of kingpins

noun

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