as in deciding
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of refereeing
Their first appearance in the FA Cup’s last 16 for 29 years meant, therefore, a first brush with this most controversial of refereeing tools.
—
Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Adamson spends weekends hosting competitions, refereeing events and helping build a broader robotics community across South Florida.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
The National Football League (NFL) must overhaul its inconsistent, poorly-performing, horse-and-buggy refereeing system.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Wyatt Earp, before his death in 1929, would sometimes come in for a drink after refereeing nearby boxing matches held in the area.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
On the wall and in frames propped up behind me were pictures of Padilla’s refereeing career, and of boxers who’d been in his orbit.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Adamson spends weekends hosting competitions, refereeing events and helping build a broader robotics community across South Florida.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
The National Football League (NFL) must overhaul its inconsistent, poorly-performing, horse-and-buggy refereeing system.
—Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Wyatt Earp, before his death in 1929, would sometimes come in for a drink after refereeing nearby boxing matches held in the area.
—Chris Kenning, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
On the wall and in frames propped up behind me were pictures of Padilla’s refereeing career, and of boxers who’d been in his orbit.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refereeing
Verb
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Sarr, in contrast, was a 6-foot-8 sparkplug during Duke’s game-deciding run, punctuated by a full-court steal-and-slam that caused Blue Devil fans to erupt and forced Davis to call a timeout.—
Brendan Marks,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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Insurers, not doctors, are increasingly deciding when and how patients receive cancer treatment.—
Alex Mejia Garcia,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Walker connected from beyond the arc to give Colorado its largest lead at 31-14 with six minutes left in the second period before settling for a 37-25 advantage at halftime.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Mar. 2026
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Hopes for any stability and settling out, however, have been quickly shaken.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Now the focus has shifted to determining the criminal responsibility of other high-ranking former officials, including several former health ministers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
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Similarly, there are tools that can look over a biopsy and assist a pathologist in determining how aggressive of a cancer a patient has.—
Emily Brindley,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At its hearing, the zoning commission acknowledged that some residents had called on Brassard to avoid any involvement with judging Silverman’s application.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
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As serious as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to be, Butcher’s Stain doesn’t offer much more than a superficial lesson in judging books by covers.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The strategy, attorneys said, allows the government to avoid adjudicating the merits of immigration cases entirely.—
Ben Fenwick,
Oklahoma Watch,
13 Feb. 2026
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The year is 2029 — not very far into the future, yet within its vision of what might lie in store for us in our future, our legal system is turned upside down, in favor of Artificial Intelligence adjudicating the outcome.—
Jan Wagner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Evans actually spends time umpiring youth games.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
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Complaints to umpires by players and managers who disagree with a call are as old as umpiring itself.—
Becky Sullivan,
NPR,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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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
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Volunteers often are needed for low-level jobs that Quimby does willingly, including keeping track of how long a person is taking for a shower, arbitrating the line for use of two bathrooms, and moderating use of washers and driers.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Refereeing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refereeing. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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