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front man

British  

noun

  1. Gender-neutral form: figurehead.  a nominal leader of an organization, etc, who lacks real power or authority, esp one who lends respectability to some nefarious activity

  2. the leader or visual focus of a group of musicians, usually the singer

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Venezuela's interim president on Friday dismissed businessman Alex Saab, accused of working as a front man for deposed leader Nicolas Maduro, from his post as minister of industry.

From Barron's • Jan. 17, 2026

Still, much of the band’s history has remained opaque to listeners, with gangly front man Ric Ocasek’s presence largely obscuring the contributions of his bandmates.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

He is simply the front man for a campaign in which Corona Beer and its advertising partners had pre-timed an otherwise harmless press release for 6 a.m.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2025

I first heard about ICEBlock through various posts by former Rosenbergs front man David Fagin, who has been raising awareness on behalf of his onetime bandmate.

From Slate • May 16, 2025

“We’re only a fishing boat,” our front man says.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung