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kingmaker

[ king-mey-ker ]

/ ˈkɪŋˌmeɪ kər /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR kingmaker ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person who has great power and influence in the choice of a ruler, candidate for public office, business leader, or the like.

Origin of kingmaker

First recorded in 1590–1600; king + maker

OTHER WORDS FROM kingmaker

king·mak·ing, noun, adjective

Words nearby kingmaker

kinghood, kingklip, kinglake, kinglet, kingly, kingmaker, kingpin, kings, kings canyon national park, kings mountain, kings park

Example sentences from the Web for kingmaker

The New York kingmaker who died Monday believed voters could actually handle a nuanced argument.

David Garth, the Consultant Who Talked Up to Voters |Jeff Greenfield |December 15, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Like the Koch Brothers, it seemed Rastetter wanted to be a GOP kingmaker.

Will Chris Christie Bow to Iowa’s Pork Kings? |Olivia Nuzzi |November 1, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Terry Branstad is a GOP kingmaker who could lose his bid for a sixth term thanks to scandal upon scandal.

Is Iowa’s Republican Goliath Governor the Next Chris Christie? |Ben Jacobs |April 18, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Is it time for Donald Trump to add “Republican kingmaker” to his resume?

Donald Trump, GOP Kingmaker? |McKay Coppins |September 28, 2011 |DAILY BEAST

Does he hope to play the kingmaker in a tainted presidential electoral process?

Baby Doc's Shocking Homecoming |Eric Pape |January 17, 2011 |DAILY BEAST
Not till Warwick, 'the Kingmaker,' was laid low on Barnet field, did the kingly ideal become paramount.

The Siege of Norwich Castle |Matilda Maria Blake
The battle of Barnet witnessed the fall and death of the kingmaker, and with her champion feudalism fell.

About London |J. Ewing Ritchie
Tom led forth the horses one after the other—Kingmaker, the Fiddler, Pittapat, and the others.

The Killer |Stewart Edward White
His queen, Anne Neville, the daughter of the kingmaker, was on her death-bed.

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 5 |Various
There was a man once in England whom they call the kingmaker.

The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 7 (of 25) |Robert Louis Stevenson

British Dictionary definitions for kingmaker

kingmaker

/ (ˈkɪŋˌmeɪkə) /

noun

a person who has control over appointments to positions of authority