1
as in referees
a person who impartially decides or resolves a dispute or controversy
their father always played the role of judge when there was a disagreement between the siblings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in courts
a public official having authority to decide questions of law
the judge gave the defendant a suspended sentence
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in decides
to give an opinion about (something at issue or in dispute)
the committee will judge the case solely on the evidence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in estimates
to decide the size, amount, number, or distance of (something) without actual measurement
considering the amount of dough we have, I judge we'll get about six dozen cookies out of it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in derives
to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information
I judge that the girl has had a troubled relationship with her mother
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in thinks
to have as an opinion
I judge that he knew what kind of woman she was when he married her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of judges
Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Federal judges aren’t required to follow guidelines.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
In 2020, Michigan appellate judges decided transactional data alone is never sufficient to prove that a business — or person — fraudulently used SNAP benefits.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2025
Both 19-year-old Sadie Dahl and 20-year-old Kayleigh Clark got four chair turns with their auditions, causing judges Michael Bublé, Niall Horan, Reba McEntire and Snoop Dogg to have to fight over them — not that Bublé even had the chance to try and convince the first young lady to join his team.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2025
Justices and federal judges would continue to be paid during a shutdown because federal law prohibits cuts to their pay once appointed for life.
—ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025
Because of this, attorneys don’t always know ahead of time where the judges who’ll hear their clients’ cases are coming from, Cartwright said.
—Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 29 Sep. 2025
Some of the laws lapsed and were never renewed, some were repealed, and judges struck down others as violations of the First Amendment.
—Time, 29 Sep. 2025
The judges informed the skiers that if neither jumped, no gold or silver would be awarded.
—Barbie Porter, Twin Cities, 29 Sep. 2025
Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
Along with hosting Taskmaster, Horne serves as the umpire for each challenge, while Davies judges the performances and awards points on how well the contestants do.
—Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 25 Sep. 2025
With Carrie Ann Inaba being on under the weather, judges Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli were left to their own devices — leading to some unexpected and hilarious moments.
—Stephanie Wenger, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
Your point about being present reminds me of the scene where Jack judges the girl for taking a selfie on the rooftop and Heather calls him out.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2025
As the performance came to its colorful conclusion, judges Simon Cowell and Spice Girl Mel B were immediately on the feet.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 20 Aug. 2025
Figuring out critical consensus requires polling your community, and with more films being made and submitted to festivals than ever before, who judges these competition matters.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Aug. 2025
That shift — from hype to proof — is redefining how the market judges AI investments.
—Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Who are the Red Bull Flugtag judges?
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 12 Aug. 2023
Noun
The performance drew praise for its elegance and control, with judges highlighting Efron’s growing command of ballroom technique.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Federal judges aren’t required to follow guidelines.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
In 2020, Michigan appellate judges decided transactional data alone is never sufficient to prove that a business — or person — fraudulently used SNAP benefits.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2025
Both 19-year-old Sadie Dahl and 20-year-old Kayleigh Clark got four chair turns with their auditions, causing judges Michael Bublé, Niall Horan, Reba McEntire and Snoop Dogg to have to fight over them — not that Bublé even had the chance to try and convince the first young lady to join his team.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2025
Justices and federal judges would continue to be paid during a shutdown because federal law prohibits cuts to their pay once appointed for life.
—ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025
Because of this, attorneys don’t always know ahead of time where the judges who’ll hear their clients’ cases are coming from, Cartwright said.
—Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 29 Sep. 2025
Some of the laws lapsed and were never renewed, some were repealed, and judges struck down others as violations of the First Amendment.
—Time, 29 Sep. 2025
The judges informed the skiers that if neither jumped, no gold or silver would be awarded.
—Barbie Porter, Twin Cities, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
As West reports, Dubno’s update puts us in the head of an unnamed twentysomething who judges her peers at a cocktail party.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 25 Sep. 2025
Along with hosting Taskmaster, Horne serves as the umpire for each challenge, while Davies judges the performances and awards points on how well the contestants do.
—Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 25 Sep. 2025
With Carrie Ann Inaba being on under the weather, judges Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli were left to their own devices — leading to some unexpected and hilarious moments.
—Stephanie Wenger, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
Your point about being present reminds me of the scene where Jack judges the girl for taking a selfie on the rooftop and Heather calls him out.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2025
As the performance came to its colorful conclusion, judges Simon Cowell and Spice Girl Mel B were immediately on the feet.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 20 Aug. 2025
Figuring out critical consensus requires polling your community, and with more films being made and submitted to festivals than ever before, who judges these competition matters.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Aug. 2025
That shift — from hype to proof — is redefining how the market judges AI investments.
—Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Who are the Red Bull Flugtag judges?
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 12 Aug. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for judges
Noun
-
The ball technology is designed to send precise ball data to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in real time, which can help quicken the pace of a match by providing referees with more information to help make faster decisions for calls like offsides.—
Melanie Anzidei,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
The referees missed this one, and there's no other way to describe it.—
Drew VonScio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Prosecutors appealed the ruling, and a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit — which oversees lower courts in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana — affirmed the decision, 2-1, in June 2017, a further win for Dassey.—
Kelli Arseneau,
jsonline.com,
1 Oct. 2025
-
While the Oscar winner officially filed for divorce in Nashville courts on Tuesday, news of their separation came to light the day prior.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In an interview with Variety in April 2023, Coelen shared that the crew often decides who will reveal their decision first at the altar.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Snoopy decides to cook his own version of a Thanksgiving meal with help from his friends.—
Tanya Wildt,
Freep.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Since some people recover from listeriosis without medical attention and never get tested, the CDC estimates that the actual number of people ill is probably substantially higher than reported, and that the outbreak may not be restricted to the states shown below.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office's most recent analysis from June estimates 16 million Americans will lose their health care coverage by 2034 due to the cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.—
Beth Warren,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The one-time Gold Glove Award winner has been the most valuable defender since making his debut, according to Baseball Savant’s Fielding Run Value, and much of his value derives from his framing.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Davis also explains that her appreciation for the Loungefly designs derives from her childhood, sharing that her father is an artist and set designer, and her mother was an interior designer.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
However, Red Sox insider Chris Cotillo thinks the team could actually let Bregman walk with concerns about health and decline with age.—
Aaliyan Mohammed,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Our 6-year-old reviewer thinks her clothes are awesome, while her parent likes that this doll encourages imaginative play.—
Pamela Brill,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
This zone is crucial for pitch framing, where catchers use their presentation to influence umpires into calling borderline pitches strikes.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Springer’s comments suggested that the umpires were actively looking for ways to drive the Blue Jays down in the standings so that the Yankees could take the division.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The integrity of our system of justice and the judicial system is based on the trust that people place in the jurists that populate that branch, the third branch of government.—
John E. Jones III,
The Conversation,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The rare move highlighted the administration's combative stance toward jurists who impeded its immigration policies.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Judges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/judges. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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