checkmate

noun [U]

/ˈtʃek.meɪt/

Definition

› a winning position in chess in which you have put the other player's king under a direct attack from which it cannot escapeChess › a situation in which someone has been defeated or a plan cannot develop or continue → Compare stalemateWinning and defeatingScoring, winning and losing in sportDifficult situations and unpleasant experiencesAccidents and disasters checkmate

verb [T] › My Dad can always checkmate me within 20 moves.Chess

(Definition of checkmate noun from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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