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
-
Batson, an early employee of Mozilla who had played for Augusta Arsenal in Georgia before becoming a referee, came to his job after a chance encounter with US Soccer’s board chair on an Amtrak train.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
28 Feb. 2026
-
In boxing, the referee either counts out the fighter or stops the contest.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The judge expressed disbelief in a 66-page opinion.—
Steve Karnowski,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2026
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Cash told the judge that the loitering charge is discriminatory against homeless people and should be dropped.—
Amy DeLaura,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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While the umpires awkwardly walked off the field, and while each side’s dugout glanced around for confirmation, the Surprise Stadium public address announcer made the call.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Mar. 2026
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Challenges must be made immediately after the umpire’s call.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But the arbitrator — hired and paid jointly by both the NFL and NFLPA — had no problem with the union conducting the surveys and sharing the results privately with players and teams.—
Nicki Jhabvala,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
-
For example, while the logistics provider’s counsel claimed that more than 3,000 employees eligible for the DCP were likely to take the buyout, the size of the cuts would not impact an arbitrator’s authority to remedy the harm done.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arbiter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbiter. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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