checkmate Synonyms
Another word for checkmate
• noun (Context 1)
A winning position in chess in which a player's king is under direct attack and has no legal move to escape.
"The grandmaster sacrificed his rook to force a brilliant mate in three moves."
• verb (Context 2)
To place an opponent's king in an inescapable position of check in chess, thereby winning the game.
"He managed to mate his opponent using only a knight and a bishop."
• interjection (Context 3)
An exclamation uttered in chess to declare that the opponent's king has been placed in an inescapable position of check, thereby ending the game.
"She moved her queen to the back rank and calmly announced, "mate!""
• noun (Context 4)
A complete and decisive defeat, or a situation in which someone's plans or actions are totally thwarted.
"The unexpected testimony served as a legal defeat to the defense's entire strategy."
• verb (Context 5)
To outmaneuver, frustrate, or completely defeat an opponent or their plans.
"The investigative journalist's latest report effectively checkmated the corrupt administration."
Opposites of checkmate
The opposite of checkmate shifts depending on context. Common opposites include: