arbiters

plural of arbiter
as in referees
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 arbiters The move publicly challenges the accuracy of the state’s death determinations in an extraordinary move that breaks precedent that states are the arbiters of case and death determinations, not the CDC. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026 Two of the arbiters accompanied Espada to the pitcher’s mound, where Brown handed Espada the baseball. — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 For the next fifty years, insurance companies, not doctors, were the chief arbiters of corpulence. — Literary Hub, 17 Aug. 2026 This setup, wherein a group of arbiters hide behind a curtain like the Wizard of Oz and hand down decisions that inflict generational trauma on entire countries, almost feels purposefully built to invite all sorts of wild speculation. — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 14 July 2026 Just as decisions should be devolved to the smallest competent unit rather than centralized bureaucracies, customers — as the ultimate arbiters of value — must be empowered to judge what truly serves their needs and dignity. — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026 Moreover, clinicians are winning more than 70% of IDR disputes because independent arbiters recognize that insurers are underpaying. — Torie Bosch, STAT, 11 Apr. 2026 Later, criticism also came from arbiters of high modernism, such as Clement Greenberg, who wrote off New Deal art as kitsch for the masses. — Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026 Are the corporations that release the powerful technology the arbiters of their fate? — Jake Angelo, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arbiters
Noun
  • In fairness to the referees making that controversial call, Sieler was also flagged for what would have been a holding call that was declined.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The deranged belief that NFL referees assist the Chiefs would have fueled outrage on social media had the Chiefs won in that manner.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • If the vacancy remains, district judges may appoint a prosecutor to serve until the president nominates and the Senate confirms a replacement.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Those levies were under scrutiny Wednesday, when judges pressed the administration on whether Greer had sufficient justification.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The umpires have repeatedly reminded attendees to quiet down in between games.
    — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026
  • If some umpires have treated Vitello differently than other managers, then that’s a poor reflection on them for betraying their impartiality.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Arbiters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbiters. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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