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 Paper wasps build nests under eaves, benches and fence railings and will sting if disturbed. — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026 Several of his most ardent supporters who attended Friday’s hearing were seen weeping in the courtroom benches. — Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026 Both benches and bullpens cleared, but order was quickly restored. — CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 Plans call for a trash enclosure designed to match Beermann Plaza’s existing aesthetic, including decorative brick veneer, tile wall caps, landscaping, metal benches and a new sidewalk. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 10 Aug. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for benches
  1. judges
  2. tribunals
  3. courts
Noun
  • But Mangione’s defense lost arguments to exclude the gun and his writings from being used at the trials after both judges found the search of his backpack that produced that evidence was legal.
    — Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Some seats are part-time appointments and judges can continue private practice.
    — KATHERINE LIN, ABC News, 12 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
  • Trump filed the emergency appeal after lower courts blocked the administration from creating a federal list of eligible voters and limiting delivery of mail ballots only to people on that list in nearly half the states for the midterm elections.
    — Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Shortly after the ruling, New York City filed a motion for permission to appeal, which will stay the order in the lower courts.
    — Katherine Koretski, CNN Money, 10 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 16 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on benches

Nglish: Translation of benches for Spanish Speakers

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