checkmating

verb

present participle of checkmate
as in frustrating
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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of checkmating In the event’s final game, Nakamura caught headlines by theatrically throwing reigning Classical world champion Gukesh Dommaraju’s king into the crowd after checkmating him. — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for checkmating
  1. frustrating
  2. thwarting
  3. hampering
  4. baffling
  5. defeating
  6. preventing
  7. stopping
Verb
  • But Algo’s hyper-logical, computerised process of consistently picking the favourites to win was undone in the second match of the day, with Ghana frustrating England in a 0-0 draw.
    — The Athletic Soccer Experts, New York Times, 24 June 2026
  • The documentary’s contradiction is right there, enthralling us with the wild achievements Potter pulled off and frustrating us with his bombast, leading us to ponder whether, as The Dark Wizard suggests, either could exist without the other.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 May 2026
Definition of frustrating
Verb
  • The purpose of antitrust was to prevent companies from getting too large by taking over companies and swallowing them up and thwarting competition.
    — John E. McDonough, STAT, 16 Oct. 2026
  • South Africa hopes were pinned on Markram, who has a history of thwarting the Australians in the fourth innings.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of thwarting
Verb
  • The officials said the restrictions were disrupting high-speed military drones, hampering Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian attacks and conduct operations along the front line.
    — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Kyiv sees this as an attempt to pressure it into concessions by hampering its aerial defense and military operations.
    — David Hickey, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of hampering
Verb
  • Their admirable determination makes Diamantis’ flight from the United States baffling for us and humiliating for them.
    — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The sequel, on the other hand, is shaped by baffling decisions from director Susanne Bier and cinematographer Simon Duggan that render the film antiseptic.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of baffling
Verb
  • Fernandes points out the prevalence of tactical voting — when voters abandon their preferred candidate for one with a better chance of winning or defeating a rival — as an explanation for the first-round surprise in early October.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Eisenkot argued that Israel needed to concentrate its military resources on defeating Hamas in the south before embarking on another major conflict.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of defeating
Verb
  • Riyadh said the discussions were aimed at keeping diplomatic channels open and preventing another escalation in hostilities.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Events unfold over one evening as a hurricane rolls in, blocking communication from the outside world and preventing reinforcements from arriving.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of preventing
Verb
  • But Pollard was ruled down just outside the end zone in the second quarter, and Cleveland turned the Titans over on downs with Maliek Collins stopping Pollard on fourth-and-goal.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • But there's nothing stopping users from posting images or videos made with third party filters to the platform — or onto TikTok and Instagram, for that matter.
    — Chloe Veltman, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of stopping

Browse Nearby Words

checkmates
checkmating
check (off)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Checkmating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/checkmating. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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