benches

noun

plural of bench
1
as in judges
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 tribunals
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 benches Lab staff, mid-experiment, hid under their benches and waited there for hours. — Daniel Jernigan, STAT, 7 Aug. 2026 Doug Gibson, the novel’s closest thing to an idealist, is a pugilistic criminal-defense lawyer, the kind with ads on bus-stop benches. — Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026 The park is open from dawn to dusk, several benches are scattered throughout the trail system and restrooms are available at the trailhead. — Nick Wagner, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026 Continue reading … MOUND MAYHEM — Gavin Williams' perfect game bid leads to benches-clearing altercation between Guardians and Diamondbacks. — FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026 Plenty of outdoor patio spaces with classic garden benches and umbrellaed tables beg for relaxed summer gatherings. — Catherine Dunwoody, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 The authorities also destroyed public benches that had become hangout spots. — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 During OTAs, there were no benches for players to rest, like in the past. — Mike Defabo, New York Times, 28 July 2026 The traditional category, in which the San Jose nonprofit group competed, featured the use of different props such as tables, benches and wine jugs to combine technical skill with storytelling. — Yu Wang, Mercury News, 26 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for benches
  1. judges
  2. tribunals
  3. courts
Noun
  • The judges eventually discuss the clothes — but there, too, things get dramatic, with a lot of disagreement between Law and the other judges.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Judge Nicholas Lienesch determined there is probable cause to believe Lindell violated Minnesota campaign law, and the case will move forward to a panel of three administrative law judges and an evidentiary hearing.
    — Aki Nace, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of judges
Noun
  • Based upon their replies, occupying Allied officials ranked their culpability, then tried the worst offenders — most famously in the Nuremberg trials, but also in numerous local tribunals.
    — Fern Schumer Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Lawmakers are prohibited by the state Constitution from being paid representatives for individuals or entities before state agencies other than judicial tribunals.
    — Jim Turner, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
Definition of tribunals
Noun
  • What hangs in the balance is an American industry’s shape and a precedent that will be established not just by courts alone but by the influence of presidential power.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Citizen suits often ask the courts to order a stop to the polluting activity, payments for reducing or cleaning up the harm done, and civil penalties paid to the government.
    — Sarah J. Morath, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of courts

Browse Nearby Words

bench
benches
benchmark
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Cite this Entry

“Benches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/benches. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of benches for Spanish Speakers

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