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
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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
Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 10 May 2025
The scene sees Martin's character, named George, put Redford's in checkmate with some help from series star Zahn McClarnon, who portrays Navajo tribal police officer Joe Leaphorn on the series.
—Tommy McArdle, People.com, 10 Mar. 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 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
The scene sees Martin's character, named George, put Redford's in checkmate with some help from series star Zahn McClarnon, who portrays Navajo tribal police officer Joe Leaphorn on the series.
—Tommy McArdle, People.com, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for checkmate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for checkmate
Verb
-
There were rumors Williams was frustrated with how the Jets were playing, and one can’t blame him, having been part of seven straight losing seasons.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The deadlock has put a pall over Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are frustrated, staffers aren’t getting paid, and the mood is dark, even compared to shutdowns of years past.—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Strategically speaking, this new system will align with Australia’s growing focus on maritime security and deterrence.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
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But nearly 60,000 other voters marked for deterrence in the area around I-95 did not show up to the polls — a drop of six percentage points among those same voters compared to 2012, according to a Herald analysis.—
David Smiley,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Will Baltimore manage to thwart a Vikings rushing attack that gashed the Lions for 142 yards, cause McCarthy to assume a heavier load than Minnesota’s coaches would like and force the first-year starter into youthful mistakes?—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
But with the teams back to even strength a short time later, Kirill Kaprizov got loose in the middle of the offensive zone and made a rush to the net that was thwarted.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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As if dark energy weren't already mysterious and baffling enough, new research suggests that this unknown force may not be driving galaxies apart at an accelerating rate anymore.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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Played for comic relief, he is baffled by this son of his who attends college and, more perplexing yet, is suddenly obsessed with Italy and cycling.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In July, the company established a worldwide distribution deal to scale Sanitized AG’s odor neutralization and antimicrobial technologies.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
13 Oct. 2025
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But Ukraine need not destroy every element of the Russian military to achieve strategic neutralization—stripping away the enemy of its ability to achieve its objectives.—
ANDRIY ZAGORODNYUK,
Foreign Affairs,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Pelosi retires and Dems begin generational civil war Nancy Pelosi, 85, announced her retirement yesterday as a new generation of much younger Democrats bridles against the elderly cadre under former President Biden, 82, who led them to defeat in the last presidential election.—
Geoff Colvin,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
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He and Democrat Rebecca Cooke may be headed for a rematch in 2026, after Van Orden defeated Cooke in 2024.—
Molly Beck,
jsonline.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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That said, the good outweighs the baffling.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Damage to the blood-brain barrier leads to inflammation within the brain and hampers the clearance of waste products like beta-amyloid protein (seen in Alzheimer's disease).—
Colleen Doherty,
Verywell Health,
6 Nov. 2025
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All of these issues combined have left Target with a workforce that has grown faster than sales and a complex corporate structure that has hampered decision-making and created needless red tape.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,Annie Palmer,Frank Holland,
CNBC,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Checkmate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/checkmate. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.
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