as in referee
a person who impartially decides or resolves a dispute or controversy
the dean of student affairs is the proper arbiter when a student disputes a grade
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of arbiter
So the key distinction is that there’s a neutral arbiter.
—
John E. Jones, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
Appoint a Book Club Editor in Chief I’m all for democracy, but there’s still a place for arbiters of taste.
—Lauren Mechling, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2026
Still, Ternus isn’t the final arbiter for design decisions, which have been made by consensus for several years.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
Yet, this attempt misses the mark by making the state the arbiter of what’s appropriate for young Floridians.
—Kevin Frazier, Sun Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arbiter
John E. Jones, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
Appoint a Book Club Editor in Chief I’m all for democracy, but there’s still a place for arbiters of taste.
—Lauren Mechling, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2026
Still, Ternus isn’t the final arbiter for design decisions, which have been made by consensus for several years.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026
Yet, this attempt misses the mark by making the state the arbiter of what’s appropriate for young Floridians.
—Kevin Frazier, Sun Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arbiter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arbiter
Noun
-
Atkinson whipped his arm against the nearby referee before the whistle was blown.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Tucked in among all of the many things that Pep Guardiola has got off his chest about referees over the past couple of weeks was a very small detail that might explain an awful lot.—
Sam Lee,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The plaintiffs argue that the way the government operates the dams violates the Endangered Species Act, and over decades of litigation judges have repeatedly ordered changes to help the fish.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The judge has not yet ruled on the defense motion to change venue.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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By the time the umpire relocated to the offensive backfield, the play clock was under five seconds, and Denver’s operation was under stress.—
Jacob Robinson,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
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Smith’s crew is set to include Roy Ellison (umpire), Eugene Hall (side judge), Greg Steed (back judge), Dana McKenzie (down judge), Julian Mapp (line judge), Jason Ledet (field judge) and Andrew Lambert (replay official).—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Court has now referred the case back to the original arbitrator, the Court of Arbitration for Sport.—
Caroline Price,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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After subtracting the sale price, the arbitrator awarded Mötley Crüe a net payment of $244,293.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arbiter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbiter. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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