REFEREE Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

referee 1 of 2

noun

ˌre-fə-ˈrē

Definition of referee

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

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referee

2 of 2

verb

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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of referee

Noun

Sarah is also the name of Sarah Thomas, the NFL’s first female referee. — Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 1 Sep. 2026 As the referee was just about to hit three, Waller pulled him out of the ring. — Ryan Gaydos Outkick, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2026

Verb

The agency in charge of refereeing disciplinary cases for California state workers was called into question this month when the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation sued the State Personnel Board. — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 29 July 2026 Weeks before her 40th birthday, Penso became the first American woman – and the second woman ever – to referee a men’s World Cup match. — Amanda Davies, CNN Money, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for referee

Recent Examples of Synonyms for referee

Noun

The umpire sent base runners back to their initial bases, but Heights coaches disagreed and argued that the runners should advance.

— Emily Ohman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
The umpires have repeatedly reminded attendees to quiet down in between games.

— Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of umpire

Verb

Kushner for his part emphasized in his note this week that FIFA’s members would ultimately have decided whether to participate.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 4 Sep. 2026
The two companies decided to change the way the figurines were auctioned to avoid the gouging narrative.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of decide

Noun

The motion to assign the case to a specific judge is expected to be heard before arguments begin on the sentence motion.

— Greg Smith, Hartford Courant, 8 Sep. 2026
Local 42’s attorneys had previously filed a motion asking a Jackson County judge to hold the city in contempt, arguing that officials had failed to carry out a previous judgment in the case from March that enforced the arbitrator’s decision.

— Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of judge

Verb

The tropical cyclone reached Category 5, defined by sustained winds of 157 mph or greater, overnight Friday before losing some of its steam and settling into Category 4’s limits of sustained winds of 130 to 156 mph by Saturday.

— Dennis Romero, NBC news, 6 Sep. 2026
Our offensive weapons give Kyler a perfect runway to land the plane, finally settling into an environment that can nurture his skill set and get a payday in a prove-it year.

— Adam Coleman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of settle

Verb

California's next governor will ultimately determine whether to accept or reject the board's recommendation.

— Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
The identities of those killed have yet to be determined, al-Masirah satellite news channel cited Saboula as saying.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of determine

Verb

In each instance, once parties have agreed to arbitrate, a court may confirm and enforce the resulting arbitration award, subject to limited grounds for setting it aside.

— Asma Uddin, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026
The planned center for arbitrating investment and commercial disputes, for example, will sit within the Syrian Investment Authority, which is itself attached to the presidency.

— Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of arbitrate

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refer

referee

refereed

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Referee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/referee. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of referee

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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