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
Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 10 May 2026
Marquee judges there included some of the biggest names in the industry, such as Stephanie Macleod – the legendary master blender for Dewar’s – and Billy Leighton, the iconic longtime blender at Jameson Irish Whiskey.
—Brad Japhe, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
Unlike regular federal court judges, a magistrate judge is not appointed by the president.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 9 May 2026
Not used to the standard, black polyester choir robe that American judges wear, Gorsuch tripped when walking up the steps to the bench.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 9 May 2026
During their unsuccessful electoral campaign to defeat the new maps, Republicans highlighted the legal confusion around the vote and urged judges to stop it.
—Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 8 May 2026
This year’s judges were Major Jackson, Cole Swensen, and Afaa Michael Weaver.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
The appeal was heard by Logue, Chief Judge Edwin Scales III and Judge Fleur Lobree of the 3DCA, which has 10 judges.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 8 May 2026
During the legal dispute between family members, three judges recused themselves, Swartz reported at the time.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 3 May 2026
Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 6 Apr. 2026
In episode three, Mary judges Eleanor pretty harshly for her choices with Robert.
—Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026
The program, which launched last month, gave half a dozen Los Angeles County civil court judges access to AI software called Learned Hand.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
With that in mind, here are the top 10 starters with at least 100 pitches thrown this spring so far, ranked by Stuff+, which judges pitches by their physical qualities alone.
—Eno Sarris, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
On Monday, Ninth Circuit judges Holly Thomas, Anthony Johnstone, and Joan Lefkow held an oral argument.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 11 Mar. 2026
When smearing peanut butter on bread, the robot watches the knife deflect down and crush the bread and judges forces from that.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 2 Mar. 2026
But Herzog never judges or condescends to Treadwell, even if his involvement in documenting the fallout becomes increasingly complicated.
—Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Feb. 2026
Alongside him, judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie will return for their second year as a trio.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Feb. 2026
Noun
The judges face a ticking clock as local election clerks prepare to finalize ballots for the August primaries by May 26 and decisions in the three cases are likely to come quickly.
—Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 10 May 2026
Marquee judges there included some of the biggest names in the industry, such as Stephanie Macleod – the legendary master blender for Dewar’s – and Billy Leighton, the iconic longtime blender at Jameson Irish Whiskey.
—Brad Japhe, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
Unlike regular federal court judges, a magistrate judge is not appointed by the president.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 9 May 2026
Not used to the standard, black polyester choir robe that American judges wear, Gorsuch tripped when walking up the steps to the bench.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 9 May 2026
During their unsuccessful electoral campaign to defeat the new maps, Republicans highlighted the legal confusion around the vote and urged judges to stop it.
—Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 8 May 2026
This year’s judges were Major Jackson, Cole Swensen, and Afaa Michael Weaver.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
The appeal was heard by Logue, Chief Judge Edwin Scales III and Judge Fleur Lobree of the 3DCA, which has 10 judges.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 8 May 2026
During the legal dispute between family members, three judges recused themselves, Swartz reported at the time.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 3 May 2026
Verb
American Idol judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan reacted to Seacrest’s on-air announcement with a mix of shock and confusion.
—Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 6 Apr. 2026
In episode three, Mary judges Eleanor pretty harshly for her choices with Robert.
—Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2026
The program, which launched last month, gave half a dozen Los Angeles County civil court judges access to AI software called Learned Hand.
—James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
With that in mind, here are the top 10 starters with at least 100 pitches thrown this spring so far, ranked by Stuff+, which judges pitches by their physical qualities alone.
—Eno Sarris, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
On Monday, Ninth Circuit judges Holly Thomas, Anthony Johnstone, and Joan Lefkow held an oral argument.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 11 Mar. 2026
When smearing peanut butter on bread, the robot watches the knife deflect down and crush the bread and judges forces from that.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 2 Mar. 2026
But Herzog never judges or condescends to Treadwell, even if his involvement in documenting the fallout becomes increasingly complicated.
—Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Feb. 2026
Alongside him, judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie will return for their second year as a trio.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for judges
Noun
-
Over days, referees compared petition signatures against photocopies — generally years-old signatures from when voters first registered.—
Adam Davis,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2026
-
After a long video review, the referees apparently couldn’t confirm that Manson actually landed the butt-end.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Trump faces the lowest approval ratings yet in his second term, and much of his global tariff regime has been struck down in courts.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
-
Other amenities include flushing toilets and hot showers, an RV dumping station, a playground, and basketball and volleyball courts.—
Anna Laird Barto,
Travel + Leisure,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
So in that sense, a lot of what clipping does is help good artists find the audiences who would’ve liked them anyway by accelerating the early excitement just enough to push them past the algorithmic threshold that decides who gets discovered and who doesn’t.—
Lane Brown,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
-
And the audience, Hammond has come to understand, is ultimately the one who decides.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwards Mazza estimates the supply and demand imbalance could extend into 2028 due to AI demand and the data center hyperscaler build-out.—
Josh Romero,
CNBC,
15 May 2026
-
Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum estimates that 39% of core job skills will change by 2030, with entry-level roles most exposed to automation pressures.—
Victor Fang,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The trail, which derives its name from the slaughterhouses that first existed in the 1600s, also served as the backdrop for Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar's 1982 movie, Laberinto de Pasiones.—
Stacy Lambe,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
-
The rule against prior restraint derives from the English common law principle that liberty of the press is essential to a free state.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Everybody thinks this man had a heart attack, or some preëxisting condition.—
Akash Kapur,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
-
The possibility of uncertain thought, where the speed of the pen outruns the fine control in the effort to write as fast as one thinks, and one gains a productive illegibility.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
The umpires alert all players as Royals bench coach Paul Hoover places a phone call.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
14 May 2026
-
He was also remembered for his cartoonish crashouts and the 141 times umpires ejected him during his Braves tenure.—
Levi Weaver,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Former federal judges Jeremy Fogel and Liam O’Grady said jurists are losing trust in the integrity of the Department of Justice.—
Sudhin Thanawala,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
-
Ripe for abuse This judicial resignation-gubernatorial appointment two-step is not unusual, said Jewett, who added that jurists have been debating the timing of when governors should fill court vacancies for the last 25 years — particularly because the practice is ripe for abuse.—
Norine Dworkin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Judges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/judges. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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