as in umpire
a person who impartially decides or resolves a dispute or controversy
served as the unofficial referee in disputes over the family business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to decide
to give an opinion about (something at issue or in dispute)
their father usually ends up refereeing any disputes concerning use of the big TV
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of referee
Emil Steiner, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The players say little in games, letting Bibby work over referees when warranted.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 2 Dec. 2025
Wyatt Earp, before his death in 1929, would sometimes come in for a drink after refereeing nearby boxing matches held in the area.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for referee
Noun
Every study is limited by its design, and a largescale quantitative analysis cannot reveal the motives of individual referees.
—Emil Steiner, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The players say little in games, letting Bibby work over referees when warranted.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
In Hollywood Game Night, viewers are invited to an exclusive showbiz themed party where the host referees a lively celebrity game night, complete with two non-celebrity contestants.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 2 Dec. 2025
Wyatt Earp, before his death in 1929, would sometimes come in for a drink after refereeing nearby boxing matches held in the area.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for referee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for referee
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
Verb
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Most recently, in 1995, voters there only narrowly decided to remain.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Her parents pay for her apartment in a Brooklyn brownstone, and her biggest inconvenience seems to be that her sister has decided to live there, too — in the spare bedroom that’s not even in use.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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On Wednesday, the Manhattan district attorney's office urged the judge in that case to schedule a July 1 trial date.—
MICHAEL R. SISAK,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
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Reilly argued that the judge handling the civil proceedings never evaluated the complaint as potentially falling under an ordinary negligence claim.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While OpenAI hasn’t yet settled on a way to implement ads for its blockbuster chatbot, an early screenshot the company showed off during its announcement late last year indicates that free-tier users will likely be painfully aware that the company is trying to sell them something.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
5 Feb. 2026
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Encased in inflatable shock absorbers, the sphere bounced across the lunar surface like a beach ball, eventually settling and unfolding four petal-like panels to stabilize itself.—
Ilya Ferapontov,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Once on scene, deputies quickly determined the animal was injured.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
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Transportation will determine whether White Stadium functions as a community asset or becomes a recurring source of congestion, neighborhood disruption, and political backlash.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Courts continue to adjudicate but with growing deference on matters touching the regime’s ideological core.—
Alejandro Reyes,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
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The year is 2029 — not very far into the future, yet within its vision of what might lie in store for us in our future, our legal system is turned upside down, in favor of Artificial Intelligence adjudicating the outcome.—
Jan Wagner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Volunteers often are needed for low-level jobs that Quimby does willingly, including keeping track of how long a person is taking for a shower, arbitrating the line for use of two bathrooms, and moderating use of washers and driers.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
1 Feb. 2026
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O’Foghludha noted that Duke and Mensah agreed to arbitrate a dispute, but that no arbitrator has yet been assigned.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Referee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/referee. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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