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
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of checkmate
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
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 21 May 2025
In the second, Eze again ceded the advantage, but ruthlessly capitalised on a costly blunder with a rapid-fire checkmate to seal the win and the tournament.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for checkmate
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
In that case, however, Anand managed to secure a checkmate after 29 days of play.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 21 May 2025
In the second, Eze again ceded the advantage, but ruthlessly capitalised on a costly blunder with a rapid-fire checkmate to seal the win and the tournament.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for checkmate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for checkmate
Verb
-
But now concerns have grown and even some of the airline’s most loyal customers are frustrated after the carrier rolled out a new boarding process to pair with the policy change.—
Dallas Morning News,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The two upperclassmen used contrasting styles to frustrate TCU defensively.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed in 1949 to counter the security threat posed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and its deterrence is underpinned by a strong American troop presence in Europe.—
Lorne Cook,
Fortune,
1 Feb. 2026
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According to the report, the systems were activated to disrupt and warn off foreign aircraft, offering a rare glimpse into how Beijing integrates electronic warfare into its maritime patrols and regional deterrence strategy.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In the 27th minute, diving to his left to thwart Juninho Vieira.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The Prince and Princess of Wales’ statement came ahead of William’s three-day trip to Saudi Arabia, which kicked off on Monday—likely in an attempt to thwart any questions about the issue while the future king is abroad.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Their tactics really baffle their strategy.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Homeowners and residents are baffled by the attacks upon their beautiful — but otherwise seemingly useless — plants.—
Tribune News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Soko has developed specific products for this problem, including SuperCast, which completes the neutralization of the oxidizing agents, removes the residues and eliminates yellowing.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Researchers revealed that the high-voltage output facilitates the neutralization and collection of dust and moisture by generating negative ions.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Magic rallied from 17 points down to win 120-117, but the Jazz defeated the Heat 115-111.—
Mark Anderson,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The Cyclones, who are 13-0 at Hilton Coliseum this season, have defeated the Jayhawks three straight years in the building.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That said, the good outweighs the baffling.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Democratic lawmakers condemn Maxwell’s plea Democrats in the House Oversight Committee denounced Maxwell’s request for a presidential pardon and suggested that Trump’s refusal to rule out such a possibility has hampered the committee’s inquiry.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
10 Feb. 2026
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As has been the case many a time during the season, giveaways hampered Golden State for much of the night.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Checkmate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/checkmate. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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