checkmate

1 of 2

verb

check·​mate ˈchek-ˌmāt 

checkmated; checkmating; checkmates

transitive verb

1

: to arrest, thwart, or counter completely

2

: to check (a chess opponent's king) so that escape is impossible

checkmate

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: the act of checkmating

b

: the situation of a checkmated king

2

: a complete check

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Figurative Checkmate and Other Chess Terms

Checkmate is one of the most recognizable words from the world of chess. It is often found both in its original sense (referring to the placing of an opponent’s king in an inescapable position) and in a figurative one (“to thwart”). But it is just one of a number of words in English that that either originated in, or gained popularity from, the game of chess before developing an extended metaphorical sense.

End game may refer to the final stages of a game of chess or to the final stage of other actions or processes. Gambit initially had the sole meaning “a chess opening in which a player voluntarily risks one or more pawns or a minor piece to gain an advantage in position” but now may also signify “a calculated move, maneuver, or device.” And pawn has developed the sense “one that can be used often to his own disadvantage to further the purposes of another” from its original designation as the least powerful piece on the chess board.

Synonyms

Verb

• baffle
• balk
• beat
• discomfit
• foil
• frustrate
• thwart

Examples of checkmate in a Sentence

Verb

finally checkmated the billionaire in his attempt to take over the movie studio

Noun

a brilliant move that resulted in checkmate

The challenger can force a checkmate with his next move.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

That would effectively checkmate any effort to investigate, much less prosecute, anyone protected by the amnesty grant. —Pierce O'Donnell, The Mercury News, 12 Dec. 2024

Brown checkmates most defensive backs and should still post big numbers if Philly’s offense runs smoothly. —Dan Pompei, The Athletic, 26 Aug. 2024

Noun

When the Los Angeles Lakers assigned Danny Green to defend Porziņģis in a 2019 matchup, the man in charge of the Dallas Mavericks’ advanced analytics, Bob Voulgaris, recognized his team staring at a likely checkmate. —Jay King, The Athletic, 10 Apr. 2024

So the Olympics, okay, that’s checkmate, that’s the moment an athlete dreams about. —Simmone Shah, TIME, 3 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English chekmaten "to checkmate (the king in chess), frustrate," derivative of chekmat checkmate entry 2

Noun

Middle English chekmat, from chek mate, interjection used in chess to announce that an opponent's king cannot escape, borrowed from Anglo-French eschec mat (continental Old French eschec et mat), from eschec "announcement in chess that an opponent's king is in check, check entry 2" + mat "move by which the king is checkmated, (of a player) having one's king checkmated," borrowed from Arabic māt, borrowed from Persian, "left, at a loss, helpless," variant of mānd, verbal adjective from māndan "to remain," going back to Middle Persian mān-, going back to Old Persian mān-, as in amānaya "(s/he) awaited" — more at mansion

Note: Arabic māt has also been taken as application of a native word meaning "(s/he) has died," from the root m-w-t "die." More plausibly this is a folk-etymological analysis of the Persian word, given the predominance of Persian in Arabic chess terminology. See M. E. Moghadam, "A Note on the Etymology of the Word Checkmate," Journal of the American Oriental Society, vol. 58, no. 4 (December, 1938), pp. 662-64.

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

checkmate

1 of 2 verb

check·​mate ˈchek-ˌmāt 

1

: to block completely : thwart

2

: to check a chess opponent's king so that escape is impossible

checkmate

2 of 2 noun

1

a

: the act of checkmating

b

: the situation of a checkmated king

2

: a complete check