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
Andrew Greif, NBC news, 12 June 2026
The referees chosen to work the 2026 World Cup have some new tools to speed up the games and ensure that any match-altering officiating mistakes are corrected.
—Russell Lewis, NPR, 12 June 2026
Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 8 June 2026
Clark later walked over to referee Jason Alabanza and appeared to engage in a verbal spat.
—Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for referee
Noun
Raúl Jiménez tried to sell some contact in the box, but the referees weren’t buying it, and what was almost a penalty for Mexico turned into a goal kick for South Africa.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 12 June 2026
The referees chosen to work the 2026 World Cup have some new tools to speed up the games and ensure that any match-altering officiating mistakes are corrected.
—Russell Lewis, NPR, 12 June 2026
Verb
Chosen from all six confederations and across 50 FIFA member associations, the 170-strong refereeing contingent – featuring six women – is the largest roster of officials in tournament history.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 8 June 2026
Clark later walked over to referee Jason Alabanza and appeared to engage in a verbal spat.
—Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for referee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for referee
Noun
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An 18-year-old umpire who went viral for his energetic calls and coverage at Little League games made his Savannah Bananas debut last Friday, calling it a dream come true.—
Yi-Jin Yu,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
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Instead, second base umpire Nic Lentz ruled Clement safe at second, saying that Clement was getting out of the way for Henderson to field the ball instead of trying to avoid the tag.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Studios will also be required to notify the DGA if an employer decides to license a director’s work to train a generative AI system to create new work.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
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Tie breakers are decided by, in order, head-to-head results, goal difference and goals scored.—
Boston Herald,
Boston Herald,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Shasta County Superior Court judges denied two prior lawsuits that aimed to block Measure B from appearing on the ballot, including one from Shasta County’s attorney Joseph Larmour, without ruling on the substance of their cases.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
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Today, a judge in one of the lawsuits extended an indefinite block on the fund.—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Serpell revels in all of the complications and contradictions of Toni Morrison, treating her subject with both reverence and even some skepticism and never settling for the easy conclusion.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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The package sets aside $875 million, including roughly $310 million from the state and $565 million in federal funding, to settle the issue.—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Anyone who may have been exposed to measles should first determine whether they have been vaccinated against measles by checking their immunization records, the public health department advised.—
Connor Sheets,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
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Instead, the Knicks – determined not to get punked out on their home floor – made a charge for the ages.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
Verb
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That will just leave a small number of irregular ballots left to be adjudicated.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
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Industry professionals adjudicated 12 Northwest Arkansas high school theater programs that produced full-length musicals.—
Eric E. Harrison,
Arkansas Online,
6 June 2026
Verb
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In response to the lawsuit, the NFL and teams sought to compel arbitration based on the coaches' employment contracts and a provision of the NFL Constitution that gives the NFL commissioner, Goodell, authority to arbitrate disputes between coaches and member clubs.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
26 May 2026
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Their contracts require them to confidentially arbitrate with the commissioner (or his designee) as the arbitrator.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Referee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/referee. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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