kingmaker
noun
king·mak·er
| \ ˈkiŋ-ˌmā-kər
\
\
Definition of kingmaker
: one having great influence over the choice of candidates for political office
Examples of kingmaker in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This year brought a seismic change to the old-fashioned party slatemaking process: the noticeable absence of former kingmaker Ald. — Megan Crepeau, chicagotribune.com, "Candidates seek Democratic backing for state’s highest court, Cook County judicial races," 15 Aug. 2019 The point is, underestimate how much of a kingmaker Netflix has been and arguably will continue to be at your own peril. — Tim Goodman, The Hollywood Reporter, "Tim Goodman: A Bad Week Won't Kill Netflix," 23 July 2019 The success has empowered Pureval to embrace a kingmaker role in the party. — Jason Williams, Cincinnati.com, "PX column: The return of Aftab Pureval. See why Democrat might run for Congress again in 2020," 24 June 2019 Turnout was low and the Kurds did well, becoming kingmakers in the new parliament. — The Economist, "Two years after a disastrous referendum, Iraq’s Kurds are prospering," 15 June 2019 The cash — particularly Omar and Ocasio-Cortez’s hauls — sets them up to become kingmakers. — Brian Slodysko, Twin Cities, "Targeted by Trump, Rep. Ilhan Omar and the ‘squad’ are raising impressive campaign funds," 19 July 2019 Clyburn, who is the most powerful African American in the House, holds the position of a political kingmaker in the state. — Grace Segers, CBS News, "Democratic candidates pitch South Carolina voters at fish fry," 22 June 2019 Tillery fancies himself a kingmaker and promises a get-out-the-vote effort to genuflecting politicos. — Jason Williams, Cincinnati.com, "PX column: Why we should be concerned about former Cincinnati Mayor Dwight Tillery's text messages to City Council," 12 June 2019 The army, which grew out of the fighting force that won Algeria's independence from France in 1962, was long seen as the kingmaker in presidential elections. — Aomar Ouali And Elaine Ganley, Fox News, "Algerian generals, others fired without explanation," 12 Sep. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'kingmaker.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for kingmaker
kingmaker
noun
English Language Learners Definition of kingmaker
: a powerful person or group who influences decisions about who will become political candidates
See the full definition for kingmaker in the English Language Learners Dictionary