1
as in judge
a public official having authority to decide questions of law
appealed to the bench for leniency
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in tribunal
an assembly of persons for the administration of justice
a ruling from the bench is expected any day now
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bench
Judge Derek Ewanic rendered his verdict after a two-day bench trial last week.
—
Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
Cadeau immediately walked toward his bench and called for head coach Dusty May to ask for a replay review.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 9 Mar. 2026
Pritchard and Scheierman both performed well as Celtics starters earlier in the season before shifting into their current bench roles.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
All of Wales international midfielder Jonny Williams' 12 Premier League appearances for Crystal Palace came off the bench, while current Palace bench-warmer Christantus Uche has just overtaken him on 13 appearances and no starts.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bench
Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
Cadeau immediately walked toward his bench and called for head coach Dusty May to ask for a replay review.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 9 Mar. 2026
Pritchard and Scheierman both performed well as Celtics starters earlier in the season before shifting into their current bench roles.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
All of Wales international midfielder Jonny Williams' 12 Premier League appearances for Crystal Palace came off the bench, while current Palace bench-warmer Christantus Uche has just overtaken him on 13 appearances and no starts.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bench
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bench
Noun
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Michael Judd, an attorney for news media, urged the judge to keep the upcoming hearing entirely open.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
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The judge ruled the case wouldn’t be heard until there was an administrative ruling on whether the child, identified in the suit as EE, qualified for the NICA program.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Anthropic was happy to permit a role for Claude to surveil individuals under the jurisdiction of a FISA court, a secretive tribunal that oversees requests for surveillance warrants involving foreign powers or their agents on domestic soil.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
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China holds Tibet without noticeable bother, commits crimes against its Uyghur Muslim minority with impunity, launches acts of aggression against its neighbors in the South China Sea, and growls off any court or tribunal that looks askance—which few do.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Needing to go the length of the court, Palisades inbounded the ball to Levey, who was pinned along the sideline near the scorer’s table with time running out and had to launch an off-balance shot that fell short.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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Players were offered $10,000 to $30,000 bribes per game, and Smith paid players after successful bets, according to court documents.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bench.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bench. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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