1
as in judge
a public official having authority to decide questions of law
appealed to the bench for leniency
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 bench
The Knicks got a boost from their bench, including 14 points from Jordan Clarkson and 10 more from Landry Shamet.
—
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
Powell was part of a Heat bench rotation that also included Jaquez, Kasparas Jakucionis and Myron Gardner on Saturday.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Mar. 2026
Those who planned the peaceful protest also did so to circulate a petition that asks for Kennywood Boulevard to be renamed in Byars' honor, for the speed limit to be lowered, and for a bench to be placed at the nearby bus stop for riders.
—Garrett Behanna, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
The three-photo carousel opened with a black-and-white shot of a young Queen Elizabeth and her mother, the Queen Mother, followed by a photo of the Queen and a young Prince Charles and Princess Anne sitting on a bench.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bench
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
Powell was part of a Heat bench rotation that also included Jaquez, Kasparas Jakucionis and Myron Gardner on Saturday.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Mar. 2026
Those who planned the peaceful protest also did so to circulate a petition that asks for Kennywood Boulevard to be renamed in Byars' honor, for the speed limit to be lowered, and for a bench to be placed at the nearby bus stop for riders.
—Garrett Behanna, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
The three-photo carousel opened with a black-and-white shot of a young Queen Elizabeth and her mother, the Queen Mother, followed by a photo of the Queen and a young Prince Charles and Princess Anne sitting on a bench.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bench
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bench
Noun
-
But the judge said that, given Lau's age, her lack of a criminal record, and her remorse, the sentence was appropriate.—
Da Lin,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Another federal judge in Boston on Monday temporarily blocked several of Kennedy's vaccine policy changes.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The tribunal convicted eight other defendants of embezzlement, abuse of office, fraud and other charges and imposed tens of millions of dollars in restitution to the Holy See.—
NICOLE WINFIELD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The tribunal convicted eight other defendants of embezzlement, abuse of office, fraud and other charges and imposed tens of millions of euros (dollars) in restitution to the Holy See.—
Nicole Winfield,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Rebsamen Tennis Center currently has 17 outdoor courts and three outdoor backboards.—
Joseph Flaherty,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
-
In just a little more than a month, court records show Centurion filed nearly 79,000 claims, mostly for urinary catheters, billing roughly $134 million.—
Brian New,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bench.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bench. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
