checkmate

¹check·mate

transitive verb \ˈchek-ˌmāt\

Definition of CHECKMATE

1

: to arrest, thwart, or counter completely

2

: to check (a chess opponent's king) so that escape is impossible

Examples of CHECKMATE

1. <finally checkmated the billionaire in his attempt to take over the movie studio>

Origin of CHECKMATE

Middle English chekmaten, from chekmate, interjection used to announce checkmate, from Anglo-French eschec mat, from Arabic shāh māt, from Persian, literally, the king is left unable to escape

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to CHECKMATE

Synonyms

baffle, balk, beat, frustrate, discomfit, foil, thwart

Antonyms

advance, cultivate, encourage, forward, foster, further, nurture, promote

Related Words

bar, block, clog, encumber, fetter, hamper, handicap, hinder, hobble, hold back, impede, inhibit, interfere (with), manacle, obstruct, shackle, tie up, trammel; arrest, check, halt, set back, short-circuit, stall, stop; avert, forestall, obviate, preclude, prevent; negate, neutralize, nullify; counteract, offset; conquer, defeat, overcome

Near Antonyms

abet, aid, assist; ease, facilitate, smooth

Rhymes with CHECKMATE

abate, ablate, adnate, aerate, age-mate, agnate, airdate, airfreight, alate, arête, await, backdate, baldpate, bandmate, baseplate, bedmate, bedplate, berate, birthrate, bistate, bite plate, blank slate, blind date, blue plate, bookplate, breastplate, casemate, castrate, caudate, cell plate, cerate, cheapskate, chelate, chordate, citrate, classmate, clavate, cognate, collate, comate, conflate, connate, Cook Strait, cordate, create, cremate, crenate, curate, cut-rate, deadweight, death rate, debate, deflate, delate, dentate, derate, dictate, dilate, disrate, donate, doorplate, downstate, drawplate, elate, end plate, equate, estate, faceplate, falcate, fellate, filtrate, first-rate, fishplate, fixate, flatmate, floodgate, fluxgate, flyweight, folate, formate, frustrate, gelate, gestate, ground state, gyrate, hamate, hastate, headgate, Hell Gate, helpmate, home plate, hot plate, housemate, hydrate, ice-skate, inflate, ingrate, inmate, innate, instate, irate, jailbait, Kuwait, lactate, lapse rate, legate, liftgate, ligate, lightweight, liquate, lobate, locate, lunate, lustrate, lych-gate, lyrate, magnate, makebate, makeweight, mandate, messmate, migrate, misstate, mutate, nameplate, narrate, negate, Newgate, nitrate, notate, nutate, oblate, of late, orate, ornate, ovate, palmate, palpate, peltate, phonate, pinnate, placate, playdate, playmate, plicate, portrait, postdate, predate, prime rate, probate, prolate, pronate, prorate, prostate, prostrate, punctate, pupate, quadrate, rain date, ramate, rebate, red-bait, relate, restate, roommate, rostrate, rotate, saccate, schoolmate, seatmate, sedate, sensate, septate, serrate, shipmate, short weight, slave state, soleplate, soul mate, spectate, spicate, squamate, stagnate, stalemate, stellate, striate, sublate, substrate, sulcate, summate, tailgate, teammate, Tebet, tenth-rate, ternate, terneplate, testate, third-rate, tinplate, to date, toeplate, tollgate, tractate, translate, tristate, truncate, unweight, update, uprate, upstate, V-8, vacate, vallate, valvate, vibrate, virgate, vulgate, whitebait, workmate

²checkmate

noun

Definition of CHECKMATE

1

a : the act of checkmating

b : the situation of a checkmated king

2

: a complete check

Examples of CHECKMATE

1. a brilliant move that resulted in checkmate
2. The challenger can force a checkmate with his next move.

First Known Use of CHECKMATE

15th century