endgame

noun

end·​game ˈen(d)-ˌgām 

: the stage of a chess game after major reduction of forces

also : the final stage of some action or process

Synonyms

• capper
• close
• closing
• conclusion
• consummation
• end
• ending
• finale
• finis
• finish
• grand finale
• homestretch
• mop-up
• windup
• wrap-up

Examples of endgame in a Sentence

they're now in the endgame of the negotiations for a new labor contract

Recent Examples on the Web

The second irony is that Lillard’s injury could set up the same situation in Milwaukee that marked the end of his tenure in Portland, with a wait for a trade demand dragging out the endgame of a hopeless roster. —John Hollinger, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025

And third: The playbook so far is all strategy with no clear endgame. —Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2025

What Will Happen Next? Zuckerberg may have foreshadowed the endgame about seven years ago – divesting Instagram and possibly WhatsApp. —Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025

And, of course, if Trump’s endgame is to openly defy the courts, an obviously unconstitutional executive order targeting law firms that are in the business of suing the government is a good way to bring about that endgame quickly. —Ian Millhiser, Vox, 29 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above