ringleader
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of ringleader
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.
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
Beijing has also called Chen "the ringleader of a major cross-border gambling and fraud criminal syndicate", and Cambodia deported him to China last week.
From Barron's • Jan. 15, 2026
SAN FRANCISCO—Scott Wiener, the soft-spoken, 6-foot-7 ringleader of California’s Yimby movement, really, really wants to be the next Nancy Pelosi.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025
Gil, her charismatic, not-yet-divorced boss, was not just the manager but the ringleader of a group of friends who referred to him as “Mr. Fun.”
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 16, 2025
A girl named Ayako, who was the ringleader, hadn’t spoken yet.
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
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.
