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
George Caulkin, New York Times, 18 May 2026
The Senate parliamentarian is a nonpartisan, unelected staff member who serves as a referee on procedures.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 18 May 2026
Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
His displeasure over certain refereeing decisions has gotten the Boston star ejected from one game and fined $35,000 after another.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for referee
Noun
Nuno shook Howe’s hand and walked to the centre circle to do the same with Jarred Gillett, the referee, and then span on his heels and made straight for the tunnel.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 18 May 2026
The Senate parliamentarian is a nonpartisan, unelected staff member who serves as a referee on procedures.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 18 May 2026
Verb
After the first free throw, Doncic walked over and spoke to referee Sean Corbin.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
His displeasure over certain refereeing decisions has gotten the Boston star ejected from one game and fined $35,000 after another.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for referee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for referee
Noun
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Lee questioned the home plate umpire about the interference call.—
Steve Fryer,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
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Per Roland Garros custom, chair umpire Aurelie Tourte descended from her chair to check.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Verb
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The hospital decides not to airlift Roberta (Paola Núñez), who quickly becomes an emergency case when Camille (Natalie Zea) determines that her aneurysm has ruptured.—
Britt Hayes,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 May 2026
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November 22 – December 21 A practical detail around money, access, or trust may decide whether a serious conversation gets easier or stranger.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
23 May 2026
Noun
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Meanwhile, a Cook County judge on Thursday declined to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate alleged wrongdoing by federal agents during Operation Midway Blitz.—
Claire Malon,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
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Vêtir also welcomed new additions– Stephanie Horton, senior director of global commerce at Google, and Nina Garcia, editor-in-chief of ELLE and Project Runway judge–to its advisory board, which would help deepen its expertise across global commerce, media, and luxury consumer behavior.—
Roy Stephen Canivel,
Footwear News,
22 May 2026
Verb
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German and Czech immigrants who settled in Central Texas during the 1800s introduced meat-smoking and butcher shop traditions that later became foundational to what many now recognize as classic Texas barbecue, according to the Texas Historical Association.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
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Eventually, the group settled in Fouke, a tiny town near the Arkansas-Texas border, setting up a church and buying up homes.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Officials have reached out to experts nationwide, including with the Environmental Protection Agency, hazmat experts and more to determine the best way to contain the incident, according to Concialdi.—
Paris Barraza,
USA Today,
24 May 2026
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To determine that, use the average last frost date for your area as a guideline.—
Tim Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
Verb
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Over the past year, nearly 2,000 Polymarket financial contracts have been disputed and adjudicated by the company’s complicated third-party resolution mechanism — including bets on war, elections and geopolitical conflict.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
26 May 2026
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Insurers hold data to adjudicate coverage, detect fraud and manage utilization.—
Mark Boxer,
Forbes.com,
20 May 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 30 May. 2026.
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