Meaning & use
endgame
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Meanings
nounsingular
The final stage of a long process, contest, or plan, when the result is close to being settled.
Grammar: Usually takes the: the endgame of the negotiations.
Patterns
- the endgame of something
- enter the endgame
The talks have now entered their endgame, and a deal seems near.
Both campaigns are planning for the endgame of the election.
In the endgame, patience matters more than speed.
nouncountablespecialist
The last part of a chess game, when few pieces remain on the board.
Grammar: Often discussed in chess books: the rook endgame, the king-and-pawn endgame.
Patterns
- a rook endgame
- play the endgame
She studied rook endgames for hours every week.
He lost a drawn endgame by moving his king too late.
Strong players are comfortable in a long endgame.
nouncountableinformal
The ultimate goal or desired final outcome of a plan or strategy.
Grammar: Often used in business and politics: what is your endgame?
Patterns
- someone's endgame
- the endgame is something
Nobody was sure what the company's endgame was.
His endgame is to take over the entire market.
What is your endgame here, besides winning the argument?
Word forms
| plural | endgames |
|---|
Common combinations
- enter the endgame
- The two teams are entering the endgame of the season.
- play the endgame
- She carefully played the endgame to avoid mistakes.
- rook endgame
- A rook endgame is notoriously hard to win.
- political endgame
- Analysts discussed the political endgame of the crisis.
- what is your endgame
- What is your endgame in this negotiation?
Synonyms and how they differ
- finale
- Finale is the exciting last part of a show or event, while endgame suggests a strategic phase where the result is almost decided.
- final stage
- Final stage is a plain description, but endgame adds the idea of a planned contest.
- goal
- Goal names any target, whereas endgame is the ultimate, often hidden, aim behind a series of actions.
- climax
- Climax is the most intense point, which may come before the true end, whereas endgame covers the closing phase.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: endgame or end game?
endgame vs end game
Written as two words, end game is a less common variant, and the one-word endgame is the standard spelling.
Practice
The two chess players had traded most of their pieces and entered the ___.
Choose one answer.
The endgame is the last stage of a chess game when few pieces remain. The opening and middlegame come earlier, and a gambit is a sacrifice early in the game.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “endgame”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.