ringleader

[ ring-lee-der ]

/ ˈrɪŋˌli dər /

a person who leads others, especially in opposition to authority, law, etc.: a ringleader of revolutionary activities.

Origin of ringleader

First recorded in 1495–1505; ring¹ + leader

Neither Ted Cruz—the ringleader of this entire effort—nor his allies have much to say.

Finally! The Republican Fever Is Broken |Jamelle Bouie |October 16, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Fingered by Prugo as the ringleader, Lee went to high school with Prugo at Indian Hills where she was voted “Best Dressed.”

The Real Bling Ring: Where Are They Now? |Tricia Romano |May 21, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
To watch Marcus Mumford, the ringleader of the band, perform live is a sight to behold.

Mumford & Sons Rock Brooklyn’s Barclays Center |Marlow Stern |February 7, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
I was very lucky that their ringleader lost his balance as he rammed his bicycle into my abdomen for the second time.

To the Woman Warrior I Didn't Know |Monsoon Bissell |January 5, 2013 |DAILY BEAST

Each shoot must have been an insane photographic circus, with Avedon as the ruthless (and charming) ringleader.

A Photographer's Circus |Blake Gopnik |May 16, 2012 |DAILY BEAST
Two to one was freely betted on Ringleader; the last heat was very close, and was won by half a head.

Yarmouth Notes |Frederick Danby Palmer
We caught four of the gang, but the ringleader got away with the money.

Murder in Any Degree |Owen Johnson
All agreed in one thing: that Gordon, the ringleader, had in all probability escaped.

Elster's Folly |Mrs. Henry Wood
The ringleader and the equally guilty van der Dussen had, as has been seen, effected their escape.

The Life of John of Barneveld, 1614-23, Volume II. |John Lothrop Motley
Choosing out their ringleader, I felled him to the ground, laid him on his back, and stamped upon him.

The Leavenworth Case |Anna Katherine Green

ringleader

/ (ˈrɪŋˌliːdə) /

a person who leads others in any kind of unlawful or mischievous activity