endgame

noun

end·​game ˈen(d)-ˌgām 

: the stage of a chess game after major reduction of forces

also : the final stage of some action or process

Synonyms

• capper
• close
• closing
• conclusion
• consummation
• end
• ending
• finale
• finis
• finish
• grand finale
• homestretch
• mop-up
• windup
• wrap-up

Examples of endgame in a Sentence

they're now in the endgame of the negotiations for a new labor contract

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s a magic trick to building a story around the villain, and if justice is the endgame, it really should be doled out expeditiously; otherwise, the narrative loses its moral authority of fundamental opposition to its central character. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025

Trump and other White House officials send conflicting messages about the reciprocal tariff endgame — all of which muddle whether this posture is the new normal. 1. —Courtenay Brown, Axios, 2 Apr. 2025

Both of them will struggle to function in an endgame where people have lost the ability to govern, trade, and communicate. —Roger Huang, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025

The Kremlin’s propaganda machine eagerly circulated this statement to prove that dismembering Russia is the West’s endgame. —Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above