as in to frustrate
to prevent from achieving a goal
finally checkmated the billionaire in his attempt to take over the movie studio
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in deterrence
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of checkmate
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Losing a game of chess is never fun; however, setting aflame a custom wax king piece when checkmated is losing with style.
—
Ayah Imran,
Freep.com,
17 July 2025
Olivia Shalhoup,
Forbes.com,
24 Feb. 2026
Simmons, a sophomore from Duncanville just south of Dallas, has certainly racked up his share of checkmates over the past two seasons with 20 total sacks.
—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for checkmate
Verb
That was checkmate, as Martinez grounded out meekly to end the season.
—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Losing a game of chess is never fun; however, setting aflame a custom wax king piece when checkmated is losing with style.
—
Ayah Imran,
Freep.com,
17 July 2025
Noun
The Perfect Timing Of Valentine’s Day If the Boston Globe announcement was the opening move, the Valentine’s Day activation was the checkmate.
—
Olivia Shalhoup,
Forbes.com,
24 Feb. 2026
Simmons, a sophomore from Duncanville just south of Dallas, has certainly racked up his share of checkmates over the past two seasons with 20 total sacks.
—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
28 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for checkmate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for checkmate
Verb
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Belgium looked limited and frustrated, with Leandro Trossard and Youri Tielemans heading into the second-half hydration break in the middle of an angry argument.
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Its young people are increasingly educated and ambitious but many are frustrated over fierce competition for limited jobs.
Noun
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Allied participation should likewise be expanded so that deterrence is shared rather than carried by Washington alone for the benefit of freeloaders who consume Middle Eastern hydrocarbons and fertilizers.
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That is why ballistic missiles are central to nuclear deterrence.
Verb
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The group’s open letter calls on Bonta to take action to thwart the Ellison expansion effort.
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Nicolas Pepe had a shot from roughly 10 yards out that was thwarted by Norway goalkeeper Orjan Haskjold Nyland with his leg.
Noun
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The attack’s thwarting was an undeniable success.
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The thwarting of the Charlotte Hornets, one of the NBA’s fastest squads, is the quintessential White play.
Verb
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His focus on the voting bill, instead of signing one that tackles a top issue for voters, has left some GOP strategists baffled.
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Keith played conservative social climber Margo Leadbetter, who is baffled by her neighbor Tom's sustainability-centric lifestyle with wife Barbara Good (Felicity Kendal).
Noun
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The two antibodies also worked additively, producing stronger neutralization together than either antibody achieved alone.
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By integrating detection, deception, and neutralization into a single ecosystem—and leveraging the power of autonomy—Ultra Maritime is redefining how naval forces defend themselves beneath the waves.
Verb
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Egypt defeated Australia 4-2 in a penalty-kick shootout Friday after the teams played to a 1-1 tie after 120 minutes in Arlington, Texas.
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The short version is that after defeating the Kilrathi at the climax of Wing Commander 3, Mark Hamill’s Christopher Blair retires to a backwater world to live out a life in peace and obscurity.
Noun
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Those who knew me found this baffling.
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That said, the good outweighs the baffling.
Cite this Entry
“Checkmate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/checkmate. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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