endgame vs late

endgame

adj
  • Having become canon by the end of the plot of a work of fiction or speculated to be intended to become such. 

noun
  • The final stage of a game of chess, when there are few pieces left. 

  • The final stage of any game. 

  • 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. 

  • The gameplay available in a massively multiplayer online role-playing game for players who have completed all of the preset challenges. 

  • The final stage of a game of bridge, when there are few cards left. 

late

adj
  • Near the end of a period of time. 

  • Not having had an expected menstrual period. 

  • Associated with the end of a period. 

  • Levied as a surcharge on a payment received after a deadline. 

  • Deceased, dead: used particularly when speaking of the dead person's actions while alive. (Generally must be preceded by a possessive or an article, commonly "the"; see usage notes. Can itself only precede the person's name, never follow it.) 

  • Existing or holding some position not long ago, but not now; departed, or gone out of office. 

  • Specifically, near the end of the day. 

  • Recent — relative to the noun it modifies. 

  • Of a star or class of stars, cooler than the sun. 

  • Not arriving or occurring until after an expected time. 

noun
  • A shift (scheduled work period) that takes place late in the day or at night. 

adv
  • After a deadline has passed, past a designated time. 

  • Not long ago; just now. 

  • Formerly, especially in the context of service in a military unit. 

How often have the words endgame and late occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )