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.
With the Star, Allbritton said, a sale isn’t the endgame.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
"I don't see an endgame yet," he said.
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
Perhaps this would be a good time to remember that the real endgame lies with the Iranian people.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
But when Moonves commissioned a pilot, Burnett said a stand-alone episode was too costly and couldn’t capture the show’s slow-burn endgame.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026
He and Bobby played dozens of fast games during the two-day trip and analyzed openings and endgame positions.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
