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ringleader

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

noun

  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

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.

A court in Seoul heard closing arguments in Yoon's trial, in which he was accused of being the "ringleader of an insurrection".

From BBC

Chen Zhi, the alleged ringleader of one of Asia’s largest scam conglomerates, was arrested in Cambodia and extradited to China, the Cambodian government said Wednesday.

From The Wall Street Journal

Fars added that the buildings were "severely damaged" and police arrested several people described as "ringleaders".

From Barron's

Some of its forces managed to rescue Alawites and it has put some of the ringleaders of the massacres on trial.

From BBC

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.