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

The rotten culture that is seeping ever deeper into football was exemplified by the announcement that one of the game’s most successful referees had retired. — Graham Scott, New York Times, 23 July 2026 Plus, video assistant referee (VAR) technology has been met with applause and groans alike—as has the new referee-cam. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 20 July 2026

Verb

Just days before the tournament kicked off, CBP turned away Omar Artan, the African Men’s Referee of the Year, who was set to be the first Somali to referee a FIFA World Cup. — Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 16 July 2026 Social media has been flooded with posts from users in Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, Ecuador and Peru questioning refereeing decisions or expressing disapproval of Argentina, while messages mocking rival teams also proliferated from Argentine accounts. — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for referee

Recent Examples of Synonyms for referee

Noun

Replay clearly showed that wasn’t the case and Giants broadcaster Dave Flemming couldn’t believe the umpires saying there was a shove.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026
Caballero took an inning-ending called strike and Yankees manager Aaron Boone continued arguing with plate umpire Quinn Wolcott during the break.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026

Definition of umpire

Verb

During Covid, when many people were indoors picking up new hobbies, Lloyd decided to lace up his running shoes and quickly fell in love with the sport.

— Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
The Jayhawks, who were blown out by KSU’s Purple Reign by 19 points in Game 1 on Tuesday in Manhattan, only to win Wednesday in Topeka, trailed 12-0 five minutes into the deciding contest.

— Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 25 July 2026

Definition of decide

Noun

When court resumed later in the afternoon, the judge ordered Lux to undergo a mental health evaluation at Bridgewater State Hospital.

— Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 22 July 2026
The judge denied a request to unshackle him completely, saying that the handcuffs would be removed while Burke was at the table but that his legs would remain shackled under it.

— Madeline Morrison, NBC news, 22 July 2026

Definition of judge

Verb

The Warriors settled on acquiring Porzingis from the Atlanta Hawks for Kuminga and Buddy Hield.

— Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Instead, the battle for the other three jerseys — polka dot, white, and green — has animated this race, with the trio finally and only settled on stage 20.

— Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 26 July 2026

Definition of settle

Verb

The sculptures were among 34 Southeast Asian antiquities voluntarily relinquished by the collector in 2021 after investigators determined they had been looted.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
The case also determined that the neighbor has the right to trim any greenery that encroaches onto their property.

— Amaia Gavica, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026

Definition of determine

Verb

Human experts should define the evaluation logic and adjudicate edge cases.

— Nagesh Nama, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
But the speech gave him a fresh outrage through which to revisit an old defeat, accuse his own government of betrayal and force the press to spend the evening adjudicating his claims.

— Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 17 July 2026

Definition of adjudicate

Verb

His case prompted a withering rebuke from the California Supreme Court, which said Kaiser’s system of arbitrating legal disputes was subject to long delays and unfair to its members.

— Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
The workers say Meta's agreements require employees to arbitrate workplace disputes individually, but do not apply to requests for temporary relief.

— Daniel Wiessner, USA Today, 14 July 2026

Definition of arbitrate

Browse Nearby Words

refer

referee

refereed

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Style

“Referee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/referee. Accessed 28 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of referee

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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