checkmate

/ˈtʃɛkˌmeɪt/
interjection
  1. Used in chess to announce that the opponent's king is in checkmate.
    • She whispered 'Checkmate' as she placed the rook.
    • He moved his queen and said, 'Checkmate!'
    • The child grinned and shouted 'Checkmate!' after his winning move.
  2. Used figuratively to declare a decisive victory or end to a situation.
    • After presenting the final evidence, the lawyer said, 'Checkmate.'
    • When she found the last clue, she smiled and said, 'Checkmate.'
    • He solved the puzzle and thought, 'Checkmate.'
verb
  1. To put an opponent's king into checkmate; to defeat decisively.
    • He learned how to checkmate using a king and queen.
    • The grandmaster checkmated the challenger with a clever sacrifice.
    • She checkmated her opponent in just twelve moves.
  2. To outmaneuver or defeat someone completely in a non-chess context.
    • Her brilliant argument checkmated the debate opponent.
    • The general's strategy checkmated the enemy forces.
    • The company checkmated its rivals with a new technology.
Synonyms
noun
  1. In chess, a position in which a player's king is in check and cannot escape, resulting in the end of the game.
    • She studied famous checkmate patterns to improve her game.
    • The chess match ended in checkmate after only ten moves.
    • He won the game by forcing his opponent into checkmate.
  2. A situation in which someone has been completely defeated or outmaneuvered.
    • The politician's scandal was checkmate for his campaign.
    • The detective's evidence put the criminal in checkmate.
    • In the negotiation, the company's final offer was checkmate for the union.
Synonyms
Antonyms
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