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Synonyms

ringleader

American  
[ring-lee-der] / ˈrɪŋˌli dər /

noun

  • ringleaders
    plural
  1. a person who leads others, especially in opposition to authority, law, etc..

    a ringleader of revolutionary activities.


ringleader British  
/ ˈrɪŋˌliːdə /

noun

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

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of ringleader

First recorded in 1495–1505; ring 1 + leader

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.

See Examples For:

Aliyu's report of the incident to the police prompted what the commissioner described as an "intelligence-driven operation" that led to the arrest of the alleged ringleader and subsequently the other suspects.

From BBC Jul. 21, 2026

In December, a court in the US also sentenced Oluwaseun Adekoya, a Nigerian ringleader of nationwide bank fraud and money-laundering conspiracies, to 20 years in prison for laundering over $2m.

From BBC Jul. 9, 2026

There is also something less expected: tears, especially from ringleader Johnny Knoxville.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 29, 2026

The ringleader ended up pleading guilty and being sentenced to more than 10 years in prison; the other three received sentences ranging from 18 months to five years.

From Salon Jun. 2, 2026

Since I was the ringleader, he’d try to distract me by asking what skills I was learning in gymnastics.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles

The Secretariat of the Commission for Combating Cybercrime said Cambodian courts handled 37 major cases between 2025 and mid-January 2026, resulting in the conviction of 172 ringleaders and accomplices.

From BBC Jan. 20, 2026

Energy Transfer identified two U.S.-based Greenpeace entities and the umbrella group Greenpeace International as the ringleaders responsible for the pipeline fiasco.

From The Wall Street Journal Dec. 5, 2025

Two 45-year-old Iraqi Kurds identified as the ringleaders of the smuggling network received the heaviest terms -- 12 and 15 years -- over the deaths of seven Afghans trying to reach the English coast.

From Barron's Nov. 18, 2025

Tech stocks were at the forefront, with familiar ringleaders Nvidia and Super Micro Computer again pulling the market higher.

From Seattle Times May 6, 2024

They demanded the names of the adult ringleaders.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

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