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
-
Brown clashed with referees several times during the regular season.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
4 May 2026
-
Phil Buckingham outlined the relevant laws of the game for us and while hair-pulling isn’t specifically referenced within them, referees and VAR reviews are taking a dim view of it.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Once fated to be replaced by pickleball courts, the beloved basketball courts at Fort Lauderdale Beach Park are here to stay.—
Amanda Rosa
May 6,
Miami Herald,
6 May 2026
-
In the vacuum left by the state, questions about who is responsible and who should pay for cleanup are being hashed out in the courts as cities and counties face hundreds of millions of dollars in costs to filter drinking water.—
DYLAN JACKSON,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Deborah decides to apologize to Kelly at a restaurant, with hopes of getting the outfit.—
Erin Jensen,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
What California decides — and when — will matter at the national level.—
Ana Ceballos
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
The company estimates that severance and other restructuring will cost between $140 million and $150 million for 2026.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
-
However, the opening bid is set at $1 million, and the auction house estimates that the historic gold nugget will realize between $3 million and $7 million, not including the buyer’s premium.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The name Business Wire likely derives from the terms news wires or wire services, which recall the mid-19th-century method of dispatching news via telegraph, sending electrical signals via wire across great distances.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Destined to delight Herzog fans for its offbeat ruminations on the evolution of creativity, the movie also derives ample philosophical weight from the sheer beauty and inherent mystery of the subject at hand.—
Eric Kohn,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One thinks of the citizens of Buffy’s Sunnydale, blithely going about their business, not moving away despite being located on a Hellmouth.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
But Diane Swonk, chief economist at KPMG, thinks the Fed should formally change its policy stance.—
Steve Liesman,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The homer, which snuck just inside the foul pole in right field, was upheld after being reviewed by umpires.—
CBS New York Team,
CBS News,
7 May 2026
-
Along with those changes, umpires have also become more accurate than ever.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 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 11 May. 2026.
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