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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

And it was destined to fail, to do more harm than good, at the moment soccer’s lawmakers left both decisions entirely in the hands of referees. — Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 16 Sep. 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

Well, things got testy as Shelton complained to the chair umpire about Zverev’s antics ahead of his serves.

— Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of umpire

Verb

What input did the NFL have in the Highmark Stadium field when the team decided to switch to grass after 54 years?

— Tim Graham, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Boeing and Lockheed Martin at first provided only tentative funding for Vulcan’s development, then ULA waited until 2018 to select an engine for Vulcan, deciding on Blue Origin’s BE-4 over Aerojet Rocketdyne’s AR1.

— Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of decide

Noun

Plates and cake forks were distributed by a young waitress also borrowed from Lyons, from the Corner House on Coventry Street, who cut the cakes and handed round slices to the judges.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Earlier this month, a federal judge in Boston had issued a preliminary injunction against USPS, blocking the mailing agency from imposing those new ballot requirements on states.

— Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 14 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

The suit, brought by 13 named and four anonymous researchers, is seeking to halt the process of searching applications and current grants for specific terms to determine if they should be rejected.

— Anil Oza, STAT, 17 Sep. 2026
That can help pilots determine a target’s range more quickly.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of determine

Verb

The events recreate Ireland’s own experience with the actor Scott Shepherd in 2012, an act that was messily adjudicated before MeToo, and which, as of Pre-Existing Condition, is still a raw thing.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
Officials’ body Pro Ref admitted making an error in judgement when VAR adjudicated that Erling Haaland was onside for the winner.

— Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of adjudicate

Verb

Even at the height of Jewish segregation, Jews might work in partnership with Christians, call on Christians to arbitrate in disputes, or be welcomed into Christian homes as friends.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of arbitrate

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refer

referee

refereed

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Style

“Referee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/referee. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of referee

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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