What does "endgame" mean?
The final stage of a game of chess, when there are few pieces left.
Endgame
/ˈɛnd.ɡeɪm/ adj, noun, slang
adj, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The final stage of a game of chess, when there are few pieces left.
- Grammar: endgame is listed as adj, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: arrest, bell, check, checkmate.
- Useful contrasts: applied, beginning, early.
- Usage evidence: That endgame boiled down to the confrontation between a good bishop, that is one who had good squares to move on, and a bad bishop, that is one who had his movement options restricted by its own pawns.
How to use "endgame"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "endgame" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "endgame" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "endgame" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "endgame" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "endgame" is acting as adj, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "arrest" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "endgame", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The final stage of a game of chess, when there are few pieces left.
"Rooks become much more important in the endgame."
- 2 the final stages of a chess game after most of the pieces have been removed from the board wordnet
- 3 The final stage of a game of bridge, when there are few cards left.
"You can't really use squeeze plays until the endgame."
- 4 the final stages of an extended process of negotiation wordnet
- 5 The final stage of any game. broadly
"Being stuck with two V tiles can make for an awkward Scrabble endgame."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 The final stage of an extended process or course of events, especially with the implication of the imminent realization of a masterful strategy or plan. figuratively
"What's his endgame, do you think?"
- 7 The gameplay available in a massively multiplayer online role-playing game for players who have completed all of the preset challenges.
- 8 The thematic element of an advanced cryptic crossword puzzle, typically solved after completing the grid.
"Listener endgames have included […] shading every instance of the letters N - Z in the completed grid to reveal a 'normal' blocked crossword hidden in the one just solved"
Adjective
- 1 Having become canon by the end of the plot of a work of fiction or speculated to be intended to become such. not-comparable, slang
"TJLC’ers’ strong belief in Johnlock as endgame was intrinsically linked with their trust in the show’s creators, which enabled them to interpret the repeated denial of the subtext in Sherlock as part of the game."
Example
"That endgame boiled down to the confrontation between a good bishop, that is one who had good squares to move on, and a bad bishop, that is one who had his movement options restricted by its own pawns."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "endgame"?
Common synonyms include: arrest, bell, check, checkmate, closing, concluding.
How do you use "endgame" in a sentence?
That endgame boiled down to the confrontation between a good bishop, that is one who had good squares to move on, and a bad bishop, that is one who had his movement options restricted by its own pawns.
How do you pronounce "endgame"?
Pronounced /ˈɛnd.ɡeɪm/.
Etymology
From end + game.