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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of refereeing
Tudor railed against refereeing decisions.
—
James Horncastle, New York Times, 15 Feb. 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
James Horncastle, New York Times, 15 Feb. 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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Denver’s return from the bye week in Washington was anything but pretty defensively until Nik Bonitto made one of the plays of the season, batting down a deciding two-point conversion attempt in overtime and sealing the Broncos’ eighth straight win.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
15 Feb. 2026
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Of course, not all airports serve the same destinations, and differences in travel time and parking fees should be considered when deciding which airport to depart from.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Ireland, the Steelers and the Rooney connection The Rooney family, the Steelers’ majority owners, trace their roots to Ireland, where their ancestors emigrated from in the 1840s before eventually settling in Pittsburgh.—
Tom Chitty,
CNBC,
15 Feb. 2026
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Tripp’s writing has become less brutally pointed as his music has become looser, settling into a form of vibey psych-rock that’s nearly unrecognizable from Angel Du$t’s Ramones-via-Bad Brains origins.—
Eli Enis,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Paxton’s intervention also criticizes the panel of administrative law judges for failing to seek a medical expert’s opinion before determining Bowden could be subject to discipline from the medical board.—
Evan MacDonald,
Houston Chronicle,
13 Feb. 2026
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Democrats had appealed to the Supreme Court that the Tazewell County Circuit Court ruling that Democrats in the legislature acted against proper procedure, striking down the referendum and determining that the current map must stay in place until 2028.—
Molly Parks,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In addition to his duties as creative director, Manuel was also a frequent onscreen presence, judging select panels and assisting in challenges.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Feb. 2026
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But judging by the reaction of 94-year-old Beryl Greensmith, this little yellow robot leaves quite the impression.—
Itay Hod,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 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 21 Feb. 2026.
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