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
Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
But Takeshita got back up after the referee counted to one.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2026
ABC News, 4 May 2026
After the first free throw, Doncic walked over and spoke to referee Sean Corbin.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for referee
Noun
Eventually, new sanctions for actions such as diving along with the use of video assistance for referees were also brought in.
—Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
But Takeshita got back up after the referee counted to one.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2026
Verb
Rosetti plans to meet soon with refereeing officials from Europe’s main leagues to seek more clarity and consistency next season.
—ABC News, 4 May 2026
After the first free throw, Doncic walked over and spoke to referee Sean Corbin.
—Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for referee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for referee
Noun
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Beyond the court, Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff got into car accidents on their way to the Stade Roland Garros; Hailey Baptiste suffered a season-ending injury; Daniel Vallejo caused controversy with his comments about the umpire and more.—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
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But the umpires confirmed the home run, coupling Adell with Canseco in numerous social media posts.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Thai diver Kengkard Bongkawong told CNN that while the goal is still to rescue the group, an upcoming meeting will decide whether the team should first work together to evacuate them or if the rescuers should split into two groups, with one continuing the search for those unaccounted for.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
Hulst and Toomey decided to withdraw from the mile at the State meet.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Cushing, who was 26 at the time, then turned himself in after a judge issued a warrant for his arrest.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
30 May 2026
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The request was granted three months later by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge, according to a filing reviewed by USA TODAY.—
Liza Esquibias,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The city of Aurora agreed to pay $15 million in November 2021 to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit brought by McClain's parents.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
5 June 2026
-
McIntire, who settled in on the mound after giving up two home runs, proceeded to tie the game at 3-3 with a sacrifice fly.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 June 2026
Verb
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Regular blood rechecks will be necessary and will determine the need for medications, possibly for the rest of her life.—
Dr. John De Jong,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
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Just like the choice between a gold or silver band and natural or lab-grown diamonds, engagement ring budgets are personal and should be determined by the couple's budget and long-term financial goals.—
Kelsey Neubauer,
CNBC,
30 May 2026
Verb
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The current most popular movie on Netflix is a true-crime documentary exploring an incident that might not even be a crime, and behaviors more nebulous than the law was ever prepared to adjudicate.—
Monica Hesse,
Washington Post,
31 May 2026
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The tension between the two boils over into a confrontation which only Eisenhower can adjudicate, a task complicated by his own arrogant British subordinate, a wiry and dislikable General Bernard Montgomery - played with a villainous verve bordering on the pantomime by Damian Lewis.—
Daniel Jonah Wolpert,
NPR,
29 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 6 Jun. 2026.
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