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
Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 6 Mar. 2026
In a survey by the National Association of Sports Officials, it was found that adults, mostly parents, are the primary source of poor sportsmanship, with 64% of referees reported having had to eject parents from games.
—Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 22 Feb. 2026
Preckwinkle and the County Board authorized the Tyler contract, and her Bureau of Technology has refereed its implementation.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for referee
Noun
Mist coach Zach O'Brien quickly challenged the referee's call, which was eventually overturned.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 6 Mar. 2026
In a survey by the National Association of Sports Officials, it was found that adults, mostly parents, are the primary source of poor sportsmanship, with 64% of referees reported having had to eject parents from games.
—Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
Matilda Hruby, a Brighton High School’s 29-0 junior with red ponytails and fire to match, volunteered to referee a youth tourney in Adams City early Sunday.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 22 Feb. 2026
Preckwinkle and the County Board authorized the Tyler contract, and her Bureau of Technology has refereed its implementation.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for referee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for referee
Noun
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Instead, home plate umpire Chris Guccione had to wait to hear from the technician in the press box and then announce the result of the challenge.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
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Especially in an era when fans can look at a rectangular box on their TV and tell if the umpire is right.—
Kevin Sherrington
Mar. 9,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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David Nichols, a neuroscientist who is an expert on psychedelics, told me about a woman with alcohol-use disorder who realized during a psilocybin trip that her drinking was harming her children and decided to stop.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
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But deciding how that system should evolve, how data should flow, how governance must adapt, and how compliance risk is mitigated requires human reasoning.—
Milan Shetti,
Fortune,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Michael Judd, an attorney for news media, urged the judge to keep the upcoming hearing entirely open.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
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The judge ruled the case wouldn’t be heard until there was an administrative ruling on whether the child, identified in the suit as EE, qualified for the NICA program.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Some are fearful, however, that an old pattern of extraction without development may be settling in.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
13 Mar. 2026
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TikTok and Snap were also named defendants in the lawsuit, but settled before the trial began.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The researchers suggest that more high-resolution observations will be needed to determine whether this phenomenon is common.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
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Farr’s next of kin was notified, and the cause and manner of her death will be determined by a forensic pathologist following an autopsy and toxicology testing.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Many of the characters seek the help of some kind of outside authority to adjudicate their neighbor disputes.—
Tyler Foggatt,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
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For them, Mauritius’s maneuvers to adjudicate the status of the Chagos islands despite British objections offer a thrilling glimpse of a better future.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Any such controversy or claim shall be arbitrated on an individual basis and shall not be consolidated in any arbitration with any claim or controversy of any other party.—
CBS News Philadelphia Staff,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
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Its jurisdiction over credits is especially powerful, arbitrating decisions that can shape careers, reputations, and earnings.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Referee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/referee. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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