judges 1 of 2

Definition of judgesnext
plural of judge
1
as in referees
a person who impartially decides or resolves a dispute or controversy their father always played the role of judge when there was a disagreement between the siblings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in courts
a public official having authority to decide questions of law the judge gave the defendant a suspended sentence

Synonyms & Similar Words

judges

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of judge
1
2
as in estimates
to decide the size, amount, number, or distance of (something) without actual measurement considering the amount of dough we have, I judge we'll get about six dozen cookies out of it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of judges
Noun
Most of the judges were Kansas City Barbecue Society-certified, and the competition used a blind judging process to determine the winners. Sophia Buonpane, Kansas City Star, 28 June 2026 The president has harshly criticized judges who have ruled against him, and his administration has sometimes defied their orders. Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026 On June 18, a panel of three judges unanimously sided with the DOI, reversing a ruling the city won in February. Danny Freeman, CNN Money, 28 June 2026 While the district’s mayor and council have governed it since 1973, Congress has the right to review and repeal its laws and budget, as well as appoint its judges, despite residents not having voting representation in federal politics. Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 27 June 2026 Such hallucinatory citations are, according to judges and lawyers, troubling at a variety of levels, including for their threat to the integrity of the judicial system. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 26 June 2026 In this uncommon procedure, parties seek further review by all of the judges in a federal circuit. Charles J. Russo, The Conversation, 26 June 2026 And judges are starting to lose patience. Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 26 June 2026 Andrade landed her double-twisting Yurchenko vault cleanly with a small step, earning a massive score from the judges. Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
Verb
The order created an AI Litigation Task Force inside the DOJ, gave it until January 10 to stand up, and pointed it at any state rule the administration judges too heavy a burden on the technology. Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026 This time, judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie convinced him to give the show another shot, igniting his journey all the way to the finale. James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 11 June 2026 The truck just leans into the work and gets on with life like a ranch foreman who drinks coffee black and silently judges your hitch setup. New Atlas, 27 May 2026 Portnoy travels to cities around the world and judges their pizza scene by taking a single bite (or more) of a cheese pizza and giving it a review. Irene Wright, USA Today, 26 May 2026 American Idol judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan reacted to Seacrest’s on-air announcement with a mix of shock and confusion. Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 6 Apr. 2026 In episode three, Mary judges Eleanor pretty harshly for her choices with Robert. Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026 The program, which launched last month, gave half a dozen Los Angeles County civil court judges access to AI software called Learned Hand. James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026 With that in mind, here are the top 10 starters with at least 100 pitches thrown this spring so far, ranked by Stuff+, which judges pitches by their physical qualities alone. Eno Sarris, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for judges
Noun
  • The president participated in the trophy presentation and handed out awards to the players and referees after Chelsea won the match.
    Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2026
  • Initially, the referees ruled Freeman had been offside.
    Andrew Greif, NBC news, 20 June 2026
Noun
  • During Glossip's time on death row, Oklahoma courts set nine different execution dates for him.
    CBS News, CBS News, 24 June 2026
  • And so there's a little bit of a debate going on right now about the degree to which Americans' safety is going to be in danger depending on how these secretive courts rule about extending or renewing other certifications.
    Dana Taylor, USA Today, 24 June 2026
Verb
  • Someone decides what counts as cultivation and what counts as nuisance, what gets watered and what gets pulled, what belongs in the planned bed and what must be removed before visitors arrive.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 June 2026
  • Complaints against Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank go to the Israeli military's own prosecution service — the Military Advocate General — which decides whether to open an investigation, and whether any soldier should be charged.
    Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • The United Nations estimates that gang violence has killed over 2,300 people in Haiti since the beginning of this year.
    Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 26 June 2026
  • Using Google Maps, NBC News estimates that the video shows that at least eight apartment blocks have been levelled, along with shops and other stores along the roadside.
    Will Clark, NBC news, 26 June 2026
Verb
  • Tippecanoe River Winamac, Indiana Affectionately called Tippy by locals, the Tippecanoe River in northern Indiana derives its name from the Miami Indian word for buffalo fish.
    Kelsey Yandura, Midwest Living, 17 June 2026
  • Soccer derives its beauty from its simplicity.
    Leander Schaerlaeckens June 8, Literary Hub, 8 June 2026
Verb
  • William thinks like the future king.
    Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2026
  • But Swift has had enough Best Original Song attempts to know that her star power does not have as much influence over the Music Branch as the outside world thinks.
    Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 23 June 2026
Noun
  • Jake Mangum then hit a grounder to third baseman Kyle Karros, and the game ended when umpires determined Karros was interfered with by Billy Cook.
    CBS News, CBS News, 21 June 2026
  • The umpires saw it differently.
    Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 21 June 2026
Noun
  • Eskin favors changing the system for choosing judges to one in which jurists are appointed to a single 15-year term, eliminating the need for elections while also ensuring that jurists do eventually leave the bench to make way for others.
    Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 14 June 2026
  • An assemblage of distinguished jurists, Ivy League professors, nonprofit leaders, journalists, and theologians sat around me in a half circle.
    Yoni Appelbaum, The Atlantic, 8 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Judges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/judges. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on judges

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster