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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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of judges
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
Andrade landed her double-twisting Yurchenko vault cleanly with a small step, earning a massive score from the judges.
—
Caroline Price,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
If one parent is wealthy and the other isn’t, the judges will even it up so the children won’t suffer from disparity.
—
Richard Johnson,
New York Daily News,
21 June 2026
For most of the past twenty years, immigration judges tended to offer minors a reprieve from deportation until their SIJ and asylum applications had run their course.
—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
20 June 2026
The process involves a series of hearings in which election judges review signatures one-by-one, and typically requires the objector and the candidate to hire an attorney.
—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
20 June 2026
The traditional opinion would remain available for judges, attorneys, scholars and law students.
—
Sreedhar Potarazu,
Baltimore Sun,
20 June 2026
Sometimes judges don’t have a full picture of the risks a victim faces, like an abuser’s access to weapons and prior threats to kill, and release men arrested on domestic violence charges quickly, with little to keep them away from the women they’re accused of hurting.
—
Sara-James Ranta,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 June 2026
During auditions, judges focus on dance technique, high kicks, splits, showmanship, personal appearance, energy, enthusiasm, poise, figure and personality, per the DCC's website.
—
Emily Krauser,
PEOPLE,
20 June 2026
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
This time, judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie convinced him to give the show another shot, igniting his journey all the way to the finale.
—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 June 2026
The truck just leans into the work and gets on with life like a ranch foreman who drinks coffee black and silently judges your hitch setup.
—
New Atlas,
27 May 2026
Portnoy travels to cities around the world and judges their pizza scene by taking a single bite (or more) of a cheese pizza and giving it a review.
—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
26 May 2026
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
Noun
At least 17 cases are still pending, with judges denying defense dismissal motions in several of them.
—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
Andrade landed her double-twisting Yurchenko vault cleanly with a small step, earning a massive score from the judges.
—
Caroline Price,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
If one parent is wealthy and the other isn’t, the judges will even it up so the children won’t suffer from disparity.
—
Richard Johnson,
New York Daily News,
21 June 2026
For most of the past twenty years, immigration judges tended to offer minors a reprieve from deportation until their SIJ and asylum applications had run their course.
—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
20 June 2026
The process involves a series of hearings in which election judges review signatures one-by-one, and typically requires the objector and the candidate to hire an attorney.
—
Kate Armanini,
Chicago Tribune,
20 June 2026
The traditional opinion would remain available for judges, attorneys, scholars and law students.
—
Sreedhar Potarazu,
Baltimore Sun,
20 June 2026
Sometimes judges don’t have a full picture of the risks a victim faces, like an abuser’s access to weapons and prior threats to kill, and release men arrested on domestic violence charges quickly, with little to keep them away from the women they’re accused of hurting.
—
Sara-James Ranta,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 June 2026
During auditions, judges focus on dance technique, high kicks, splits, showmanship, personal appearance, energy, enthusiasm, poise, figure and personality, per the DCC's website.
—
Emily Krauser,
PEOPLE,
20 June 2026
Verb
The order created an AI Litigation Task Force inside the DOJ, gave it until January 10 to stand up, and pointed it at any state rule the administration judges too heavy a burden on the technology.
—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
This time, judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie convinced him to give the show another shot, igniting his journey all the way to the finale.
—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 June 2026
The truck just leans into the work and gets on with life like a ranch foreman who drinks coffee black and silently judges your hitch setup.
—
New Atlas,
27 May 2026
Portnoy travels to cities around the world and judges their pizza scene by taking a single bite (or more) of a cheese pizza and giving it a review.
—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
26 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for judges
Noun
-
The president participated in the trophy presentation and handed out awards to the players and referees after Chelsea won the match.
-
Initially, the referees ruled Freeman had been offside.
Noun
-
During Glossip's time on death row, Oklahoma courts set nine different execution dates for him.
-
And so there's a little bit of a debate going on right now about the degree to which Americans' safety is going to be in danger depending on how these secretive courts rule about extending or renewing other certifications.
Verb
-
Someone decides what counts as cultivation and what counts as nuisance, what gets watered and what gets pulled, what belongs in the planned bed and what must be removed before visitors arrive.
-
Complaints against Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank go to the Israeli military's own prosecution service — the Military Advocate General — which decides whether to open an investigation, and whether any soldier should be charged.
Verb
-
The United Nations estimates that gang violence has killed over 2,300 people in Haiti since the beginning of this year.
-
Using Google Maps, NBC News estimates that the video shows that at least eight apartment blocks have been levelled, along with shops and other stores along the roadside.
Verb
-
Tippecanoe River Winamac, Indiana Affectionately called Tippy by locals, the Tippecanoe River in northern Indiana derives its name from the Miami Indian word for buffalo fish.
-
Soccer derives its beauty from its simplicity.
Verb
-
William thinks like the future king.
-
But Swift has had enough Best Original Song attempts to know that her star power does not have as much influence over the Music Branch as the outside world thinks.
Noun
-
Jake Mangum then hit a grounder to third baseman Kyle Karros, and the game ended when umpires determined Karros was interfered with by Billy Cook.
-
The umpires saw it differently.
Noun
-
Eskin favors changing the system for choosing judges to one in which jurists are appointed to a single 15-year term, eliminating the need for elections while also ensuring that jurists do eventually leave the bench to make way for others.
-
An assemblage of distinguished jurists, Ivy League professors, nonprofit leaders, journalists, and theologians sat around me in a half circle.
Cite this Entry
“Judges.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/judges. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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