Final stage of a chess match

Latest answer — July 23, 2026

21 Across

In chess, it's all about strategy and moves as the board narrows down! ♟️

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

USA Today Crossword

This clue's Thursday, July 23, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1"YOU betrayed me?"
  2. 5Chocolaty coffees
  3. 11Fave bud
  4. 14Way in or out
  5. 15Get some fresh air
  6. 16"Fearless," for Taylor Swift
  7. 17Person who perseveres
  8. 19"Fast ___" (Tracy Chapman song)
  9. 20Algonquian language
  10. 21Final stage of a chess match
  11. 23Shows the way
  12. 25Sleep shirt, say
  13. 26Thought "Welp, shouldn't have done that . . ."
  14. 27Part of TGIF
  15. 28Tiny particle
  16. 30Kind of drum, fish or voice
  17. 31"Keep your cool!"
  18. 34Roam around
  19. 35Person with a lot of influence
  20. 37Bit of land in the sea
  21. 38"Understand me?"
  22. 42___ Stadium (where the Mets used to play)
  23. 43Memo header
  24. 44Hush-hush doc.
  25. 45H.S. course in demand?
  26. 46Mac alternatives
  27. 47"The Office," for one
  28. 50Toaster pastry type
  29. 52Orange juice stuff
  30. 53"That's my ___!" ("I'm on!")
  31. 54Person who travels through channels?
  32. 59Decisive NBA periods
  33. 60Fill with love
  34. 61"Back to you"
  35. 62General on a restaurant menu
  36. 63Say "it me," perhaps
  37. 64Elly De La Cruz's team

Down

  1. 1Boston summer hours
  2. 2"How adorbs!"
  3. 3One who might fall into a trap?
  4. 4Strongly encouraged
  5. 5___ drop
  6. 6"Odyssey of a Cockroach" author Yoko
  7. 7Comedian Margaret
  8. 8NBA All-Star Olajuwon
  9. 9Flared dress style
  10. 10Tournament ranking
  11. 11"I said so, that's why!"
  12. 12Portrait holders
  13. 13Managed
  14. 18Laughing syllable
  15. 22Rocky road component?
  16. 23Jazz musician's job
  17. 24Military nickname
  18. 25Tall headwear pieces
  19. 29___-tac-toe
  20. 30Anjou alternative
  21. 32Away
  22. 33River to the Colorado
  23. 34Take the ___ (step into leadership)
  24. 36CPR specialist
  25. 37"Fingers crossed!"
  26. 39Surrounded region
  27. 40Brought home from the animal shelter
  28. 41He absolutely loves ewe
  29. 42Does some recon work
  30. 43Honest-to-goodness
  31. 45Disney World theme park home to the World Showcase
  32. 46Susceptible
  33. 48Nasdaq debut
  34. 49Teach one-on-one
  35. 51Laptop brand
  36. 55Nashville-based awards org.
  37. 56Word repeated three times in a Buster Poindexter song title
  38. 57Not post
  39. 58Choice words?

The answer to “Final stage of a chess match” in the USA Today crossword is ENDGAME — a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on July 23, 2026, a Thursday puzzle, at 21-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Final stage of a chess match” answer

ENDGAME (7 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is ENDGAME.

Why the answer is ENDGAME

In chess, it's all about strategy and moves as the board narrows down! ♟️

What does ENDGAME mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of ENDGAME is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • the final stage of a game such as chess or bridge, when few pieces or cards remain

When else has “Final stage of a chess match” appeared?

USA Today reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

July 23, 2026 (most recent) → ENDGAME. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Final stage of a chess match”?

The answer is ENDGAME, a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on July 23, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Final stage of a chess match”?

7 letters: ENDGAME.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the USA Today crossword on July 23, 2026 (a Thursday puzzle), at 21-Across.

Can “Final stage of a chess match” have a different answer?

Yes — USA Today sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's USA Today answers?

The full grid for July 23, 2026 is on the USA Today answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

USA Today Crossword is published by USA Today; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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