checkmate

Because Leela had, in a sense, learned to extend games as long as it wasn’t losing, it didn’t always take the most direct path to checkmate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

But the moment Washington forced an error by the Broncos’ defense, the Huskies called checkmate.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 14, 2025

If this is supposed to be some 4-D chess move, it looks an awful lot like checkmate — for the wrong side.

From Salon ● Feb. 23, 2025

Ackman presented the director’s allyship as a checkmate even though, once again, neither he nor Oxman denied any of the reporting on the substance.

From Slate ● Jan. 10, 2024

“You’ve got to make some sacrifices! I’ll make my move and she’ll take me — that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!”

From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling

The finale presents a remarkable range of checkmates for the hapless Black king: 24.

From Washington Times ● Mar. 21, 2023

Rxa8, and White soon to be queened pawn will help deliver checkmates in a couple of moves.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 8, 2022

She exploits every scrap of ironic humor, as Richard gloatingly checkmates all who stand in her way.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 19, 2018

Karjakin threatened no less than four checkmates, and there’s no way Carlsen could have sidestepped them all.

From Slate ● Dec. 1, 2016

In sixty seconds flat, she checkmates her opponent’s king.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

"You've been crying behind the scenes to get out of this fight. I've checkmated you. You have to fight," Fury replied.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

But unlike the megahits “Cats” and “Phantom of the Opera,” “Chess” was checkmated shortly after it arrived in New York in a swell of London fanfare.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026

It insisted the game was a draw, even though I had thoroughly checkmated my kid.

From The Verge ● Nov. 5, 2021

Both outcomes would ensure, they calculated, a shift in the regional balance of power in their favor and that their geopolitical rival Iran would be checkmated for the foreseeable future.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 12, 2019

Papa had just checkmated Jaja when we heard the martial music on the radio, the solemn strains making us stop to listen.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

That is as humiliating as it gets — to have somebody say, “You suck, Uncle Jake,” spelled wrong while checkmating me.

From New York Times ● Jan. 27, 2024

Partly that was because of the checkmating defense by his old coach, Bill Belichick, and partly it was the pelting rain and chill winds, which had once been his home-field allies.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 4, 2021

Harris was also asked about Chargers receiver Keenan Allen’s dismissive comments about Harris last week after the Broncos star cornerback was primarily responsible for checkmating the league’s top receiver in Denver’s 20-13 win.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 15, 2019

They imagined they could corral him and use him to achieve their own purposes, such as checkmating labor unions and reasserting German strength.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 19, 2018

The first displayed the greatest sagacity in divining from the very outset the real purposes of Germany and Austria and in checkmating the diplomatic moves, which sought to make Russia apparently the aggressor.

From The Evidence in the Case A Discussion of the Moral Responsibility for the War of 1914, as Disclosed by the Diplomatic Records of England, Germany, Russia by James M. (James Montgomery) Beck