kingmaker

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.

However, the Moderates, a small party holding 14 seats in the middle, now have the power to act as kingmaker, and all eyes are on its leader, former Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

But with a nudge from Rafsanjani, the kingmaker, he was picked by the Assembly of Experts as the new leader.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

By the late 2000s, the media had fully embraced Kennedy’s role as the court’s kingmaker.

From Slate • Oct. 21, 2025

“I had always been a big Samuel Alito fan,” Leo told the New Yorker, and you can almost imagine the kingmaker saying it with a big wink.

From Salon • May 16, 2025

In later years, I discovered that my father was not only an adviser to kings but a kingmaker.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela