arbitrate

verb

ˈär-bə-ˌtrāt How to pronounce arbitrate (audio)
Definition of arbitratenext
as in to decide
to give an opinion about (something at issue or in dispute) will arbitrate the dispute between the company and the labor union

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 arbitrate The Google mass arbitration may be the first to seek to represent corporate plaintiffs, as most of the group legal proceedings to date have sought to arbitrate consumer or labor-related claims. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026 Khalid Hamideh, a local attorney who has worked with the tribunal, said the group arbitrates in civil family matters as well as in contractual disputes. — Isabella Volmert, Dallas Morning News, 6 Apr. 2026 Who is or is not punk rock is still something Love and Corgan deny Gordon the right to arbitrate. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 1 Apr. 2026 In 2022, however, SeaWorld allegedly refused to pay Sesame Workshop millions of dollars in royalties for the Sesame Place park in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, forcing Sesame Workshop to arbitrate the claim, according to the lawsuit. — Isabel Yip, NBC news, 13 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for arbitrate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arbitrate
  1. decide
  2. settle
  3. determine
  4. adjudicate
  5. judge
Verb
  • Locals have spotted groups of people in Korea jerseys huddled together, trying to decide what to order at In-N-Out.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
  • This World Cup, a bunch of people decided to gamble millions on whether soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo would cry during a match.
    — Jon Sarlin, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
Definition of decide
Verb
  • Gendron said his ancestors were among the first outsiders to settle the island in the 1700s, when three brothers, fur traders all, left Canada and followed the Mississippi south.
    — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • The space is cozy and laid back, with an atmosphere that encourages guests to settle in for a drink or two.
    — Blair Crosby, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of settle
Verb
  • The agency has required the building’s owner to hire a third-party engineer to conduct a forensic evaluation — a formal investigation to determine the cause of the structural failure.
    — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 9 July 2026
  • The hearing will determine whether there is probable cause for Robinson, 23, to face trial in Kirk's September killing at Utah Valley University.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 9 July 2026
Definition of determine
Verb
  • Pfendler appears to have broken both the previous women's speed record as well as the men's speed record, according to records maintained by Ocean Rowing Society International, which adjudicates ocean-rowing achievements for Guinness World Records.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
  • After Coroner Scott Sayers denied the request, Sherwood successfully appealed to the Office of Open Records, or OOR, a state agency responsible for adjudicating Right-To-Know Law disputes.
    — Jonah Walters, The Conversation, 24 June 2026
Definition of adjudicate
Verb
  • Readers can judge Jane and me, deciding that one of us was unfeeling or uncomprehending.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
  • Serrano first tried his wife’s urine, then switched to his own, judging it yellower.
    — Louis Menand, New Yorker, 13 July 2026
Definition of judge

Browse Nearby Words

arbitrary
arbitrate
arbitrated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Arbitrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbitrate. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on arbitrate

Nglish: Translation of arbitrate for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of bibelot

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All