ringleader

[ ring-lee-der ]

/ ˈrɪŋˌli dər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ringleader ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

Nearby words

ringer's injection, ringer's solution, ringgit, ringhals, ringing tone, ringleader, ringlet, ringlight, ringling, ringmaster, ringneck

Origin of ringleader

First recorded in 1495–1505; ring¹ + leader

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ringleader

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

British Dictionary definitions for ringleader

ringleader

/ (ˈrɪŋˌliːdə) /

noun

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

ringleader

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of ringleader

Examples from the Web for ringleader

British Dictionary definitions for ringleader

ringleader

noun