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
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
After Haiti’s lost to Scotland, Haitians launched several petitions demanding that FIFA sanction the referee.
—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
19 June 2026
Graham Scott,
New York Times,
9 June 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for referee
Noun
White answered for her team's foul trouble in the game as well and didn't rule out that referees are calling more fouls on them.
—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
After Haiti’s lost to Scotland, Haitians launched several petitions demanding that FIFA sanction the referee.
—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
19 June 2026
Verb
His story is an allegory for refereeing football matches.
—
Graham Scott,
New York Times,
9 June 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for referee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for referee
Noun
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After the Pride coach addressed the home plate umpire, words were exchanged between the coach and first base umpire who then got face-to-face with the coach.
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Jake Mangum then hit a grounder to third baseman Kyle Karros, and the game ended when umpires determined Karros was interfered with by Billy Cook.
Verb
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Obviously, mom needs to be given the options in this situation and allowed to make her own decisions, but those options can be framed in such a way that mom has to decide the option within the framework of allowing her children their autonomy as well.
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After countless date nights spent wandering Costco aisles during executive member hours and dining on food-court pizza and hot dogs, Beth and Alec Harwerth decided there was no better location for their engagement photos.
Noun
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If someone does not have a final order of removal, then there's a removal proceedings process and that starts with them being issued a notice to appear before an immigration judge.
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The district attorney’s office has claimed in court filings that prosecutors maintain older records of juvenile delinquency proceedings that are not available to the myriad other people vetting claims in the settlement, including multiple judges and the State Bar.
Verb
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Delta has denied these allegations and settled Nejat’s lawsuit last year.
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The company agreed to settle the case without admitting liability.
Verb
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The initial reason for the date requirement – which began in the 1940s – was to determine if a ballot that had been received after the election had been sent before the polls closed.
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Actual salary increases will vary among employees because some of the funding is being used for market adjustments, and employee compensation is also determined by placement on the salary schedule, according to the district.
Verb
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Rather than adjudicating guilt, the filmmakers opted to leave the question of truth open to viewers.
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That technology can adjudicate on catches and leg before wicket calls but is largely reliant on sensitive microphones positioned at the base of the stumps, rather than a sensor within the ball.
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.
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Their contracts require them to confidentially arbitrate with the commissioner (or his designee) as the arbitrator.
Cite this Entry
“Referee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/referee. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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