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
And from bling to cap, lit, woke and even 6-7, hip-hop is today's verbal arbiter.
—
Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
The state becomes both narrator and arbiter of reality.
—Andrew Weinstein, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
What explains the loss of poise and dignity among the traditional arbiters?
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
So the key distinction is that there’s a neutral arbiter.
—John E. Jones, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arbiter
Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
The state becomes both narrator and arbiter of reality.
—Andrew Weinstein, Time, 28 Jan. 2026
What explains the loss of poise and dignity among the traditional arbiters?
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
So the key distinction is that there’s a neutral arbiter.
—John E. Jones, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arbiter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arbiter
Noun
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Cernak grabbed Tkachuk, the two shared a few expletives, and a referee blew his whistle.—
Chris Kudialis,
Miami Herald,
21 Feb. 2026
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For the first time in a year, the Supreme Court just played referee in a big way.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The defense attorney has told the judge that Dratman and Fischer failed to call up a witness who gave investigators an alibi for Serafini on the day his wife’s parents were shot.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
21 Feb. 2026
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The judge's order prohibits officials from preparing for the referendum through March 18.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But Tuesday’s game featured a barrage of challenges with Thomas Fornarola, a minor league umpire working his first big league spring training, per the Wendelstedt Umpire School, behind the plate.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
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After the play, an umpire came out and checked how tightly the ball was lodged under the padding.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
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An arbitrator this month awarded nearly $400,000 to some nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian’s Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital for having to work while short-staffed in 2023 and 2024, the union said, heralding the decision as evidence of the problems that prompted the strike.—
Philip Marcelo,
Fortune,
20 Feb. 2026
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An arbitrator awarded nearly $400,000 to nurses who work in a pediatric ICU unit at the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital due to chronic overstaffing, according to the New York State Nurses Association.—
Christina Fan,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arbiter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbiter. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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