as in umpire
a person who impartially decides or resolves a dispute or controversy
served as the unofficial referee in disputes over the family business
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to decide
to give an opinion about (something at issue or in dispute)
their father usually ends up refereeing any disputes concerning use of the big TV
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of referee
Emil Steiner, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The players say little in games, letting Bibby work over referees when warranted.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 2 Dec. 2025
Wyatt Earp, before his death in 1929, would sometimes come in for a drink after refereeing nearby boxing matches held in the area.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for referee
Noun
Every study is limited by its design, and a largescale quantitative analysis cannot reveal the motives of individual referees.
—Emil Steiner, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The players say little in games, letting Bibby work over referees when warranted.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
In Hollywood Game Night, viewers are invited to an exclusive showbiz themed party where the host referees a lively celebrity game night, complete with two non-celebrity contestants.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 2 Dec. 2025
Wyatt Earp, before his death in 1929, would sometimes come in for a drink after refereeing nearby boxing matches held in the area.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for referee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for referee
Noun
-
Smith’s crew is set to include Roy Ellison (umpire), Eugene Hall (side judge), Greg Steed (back judge), Dana McKenzie (down judge), Julian Mapp (line judge), Jason Ledet (field judge) and Andrew Lambert (replay official).—
Senior Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Years ago, Major League Baseball had a crisis in which umpires notoriously had their own versions of the strike zone for batters.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Most recently, in 1995, voters there only narrowly decided to remain.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Her parents pay for her apartment in a Brooklyn brownstone, and her biggest inconvenience seems to be that her sister has decided to live there, too — in the spare bedroom that’s not even in use.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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On Wednesday, the Manhattan district attorney's office urged the judge in that case to schedule a July 1 trial date.—
MICHAEL R. SISAK,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Reilly argued that the judge handling the civil proceedings never evaluated the complaint as potentially falling under an ordinary negligence claim.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Brent crude futures settled above $70.—
Jason Gewirtz,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Russia's advance in Ukraine has largely settled into a grinding war of attrition, and analysts say that Russian President Vladimir Putin is in no rush to find a settlement, despite his army's difficulties on the roughly 600-mile front line.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Once on scene, deputies quickly determined the animal was injured.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
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Transportation will determine whether White Stadium functions as a community asset or becomes a recurring source of congestion, neighborhood disruption, and political backlash.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
An Essex County court was adjudicating the dispute; the local news surrounding the case had prompted the representatives to make inquiries.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
-
The commission also has a conflict of interest in adjudicating its own penalties, the complaint argues, since the money collected from those fines funds its own enforcement and other programs.—
CalMatters,
Mercury News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
O’Foghludha noted that Duke and Mensah agreed to arbitrate a dispute, but that no arbitrator has yet been assigned.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Trump is perfectly positioned to arbitrate this dispute and potentially take the issue off the table for the rest of his presidency.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
11 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Referee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/referee. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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