endgame
Britishnoun
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Also called: ending. the closing stage of a game of chess, in which only a few pieces are left on the board
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the closing stage of any of certain other games
Explanation
An endgame is the very last part of a strategic game, like chess or backgammon. The last few moves you make in your chess game are your endgame. Although the term endgame doesn't have a formal definition in chess, it's long been used by players to describe what happens when very few pieces are left on the board. One interesting thing characteristic of a chess endgame is that the king, which spends most of the game being protected by other pieces, becomes much stronger. From the chess meaning, endgame is also used figuratively to mean "end stages of negotiation."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
So a pinch of surprising depth proves to be the most unwieldy move when Roth unveils a resonantly nasty surprise for his story’s endgame.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
With the Star, Allbritton said, a sale isn’t the endgame.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026
Oil and gas prices look to stay elevated under any endgame scenario, punishing importers in the developing world.
From Barron's ● Apr. 20, 2026
The millions of civilians in the Middle East who have been caught up in this conflict hope this negotiation will be the war's endgame.
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026
Thomas had an overwhelming feeling that all of these changes were a spur, a catalyst for the endgame.
From "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
