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
On their surface, removal hearings can look like bench trials, where a judge — not a jury — hears evidence and renders a verdict.
—
Sean Emery, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
Steele’s day began in a run-of-the-mill traffic courtroom, where around a dozen cases got terse updates before her own was sent for a bench trial in another room.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
Instead of rostering their top prospect, a power-hitting lefty first baseman, San Francisco opted for a squad completely devoid of a lefty bench bat, a true first baseman and power.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
The nightmare scenario, impossible to envision when the Nuggets made over their bench last offseason, came together as the Timberwolves ran Denver off the floor.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bench
Sean Emery, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
Steele’s day began in a run-of-the-mill traffic courtroom, where around a dozen cases got terse updates before her own was sent for a bench trial in another room.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
Instead of rostering their top prospect, a power-hitting lefty first baseman, San Francisco opted for a squad completely devoid of a lefty bench bat, a true first baseman and power.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 4 May 2026
The nightmare scenario, impossible to envision when the Nuggets made over their bench last offseason, came together as the Timberwolves ran Denver off the floor.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bench
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bench
Noun
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The Hornets were originally part of the suit but a judge dropped them from it.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
1 May 2026
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In 2023, a federal judge found that Georgia’s congressional and legislative maps illegally diluted Black voting strength and ordered lawmakers to draw additional majority-Black districts.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
1 May 2026
Noun
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The accusations paralleled those against Crasso in the Vatican tribunal.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
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The wounds and humiliations of private life can rarely be redressed by law; literature offers a parallel tribunal in which those hurts are litigated and, if possible, imaginatively overcome.—
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The court rejected the argument, concluding that a prospective rate hearing — unlike that on the response time — would be considered contested and the utility would have the opportunity to challenge the finding of imprudence then.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
29 Apr. 2026
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The court struck down that portion of the legislation, a move that infuriated Cindy's family.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bench.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bench. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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