Checkmate - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT checkmate /ˌtʃɛkˈmeɪt/ /ˈtʃɛkmeɪt/ IPA guide

Other forms: checkmated; checkmating; checkmates

Checkmate is a chess move that makes it impossible for your opponent to win. A checkmate can also be any kind of clear victory.

In chess, a checkmate is a move that leaves your opponent with no more options: there is no move that won't result in you getting their king and therefore ending the game. Since a checkmate is so final, the word is used for other kinds of final victories. In basketball, a three-point shot that seals a win could be called a checkmate. In politics, a speech that wins votes and wraps up an election could be called a checkmate.

Definitions of checkmate

noun a chess move constituting an inescapable and indefensible attack on the opponent's king synonyms: mate see moresee less type of: chess move the act of moving a chess piece
noun complete victory see moresee less type of: triumph, victory a successful ending of a struggle or contest
verb place an opponent's king under an attack from which it cannot escape and thus ending the game “Kasparov checkmated his opponent after only a few moves” synonyms: mate see moresee less type of: beat, beat out, crush, shell, trounce, vanquish come out better in a competition, race, or conflict

Pronunciation US /ˌtʃɛkˈmeɪt/ UK /ˈtʃɛkmeɪt/ Cite this entry Style: MLA

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Vocabulary lists containing checkmate

Check It Out, Mate: Chess Vocabulary

Widely recognized as one of the greatest and most difficult board games in the world, chess originated in India in the 6th century C.E., spreading into Persia and the Muslim world — undergoing rule changes over the course of many centuries — before arriving in Europe and beyond. Learn this list and become a vocabulary grandmaster!

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