refereeing

verb

present participle of referee
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 refereeing Kenneth George Aston, who headed FIFA’s refereeing committee, took inspiration from traffic lights and, in 1967, introduced the yellow and red cards that are still used today. — ABC News, 11 July 2026 Late goals, refereeing controversy, stunning upsets and two box office penalty shootouts – yesterday was everything the World Cup will always be about. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 30 June 2026 The Athletic’s refereeing expert Graham Scott agreed. — Mark Carey, New York Times, 25 June 2026 Chosen from all six confederations and across 50 FIFA member associations, the 170-strong refereeing contingent – featuring six women – is the largest roster of officials in tournament history. — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 8 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refereeing
  1. deciding
  2. settling
  3. determining
  4. judging
  5. adjudicating
  6. umpiring
  7. arbitrating
Verb
  • Woodrow Wilson, having suffered a debilitating stroke in 1919, refused to yield the presidency while his wife and physician quietly hid his condition from the country, deciding on his behalf what the nation would be permitted to know.
    — Michael Sonnenfeldt, Fortune, 19 July 2026
  • The family deciding what to put on the table tonight does not, and there is no defensible reason for that.
    — Mike Snider, USA Today, 19 July 2026
Definition of deciding
Verb
  • As Flex Global expands, users can take advantage of stablecoin payment rails and wallets in more than countries while settling cross-border payments in minutes, the company said.
    — Arthur Zackiewicz, Footwear News, 14 July 2026
  • Rather than opening in central London, the foundation chose to follow the artists, settling in a neighborhood that has become home to an increasingly vibrant creative community.
    — PhotoVogue, Vogue, 13 July 2026
Definition of settling
Verb
  • The incident was recorded on a home security camera, which assisted Deputy State Fire Marshals in determining the cause of the fire.
    — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • Chief Estella Patterson told committee members officers have a hard time determining the exact age of juveniles without an ID, which delays the investigation and prolongs police interactions.
    — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2026
Definition of determining
Verb
  • Time has a habit of judging architects more generously than their contemporaries often do.
    — Natalie Hoberman, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
  • The judging panel includes Mark Ballas, fresh off his Traitors run, and his mother, Shirley Ballas.
    — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 17 July 2026
Definition of judging
Verb
  • 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
  • The final overriding decision was therefore not simply a process of adjudicating biological facts, but a judgment about what classification might do.
    — Max Moser, STAT, 9 July 2026
Definition of adjudicating
Verb
  • His 40 seasons umpiring in the majors are the most by any umpire.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026
  • Ogilvie has also squeezed in umpiring the last three years.
    — Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Definition of umpiring
Verb
  • Meanwhile, the leaders reported that the core business of the guild — paying residuals, arbitrating credit disputes, and so on — continues, though the guild’s offices, theater and library remain closed.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Its jurisdiction over credits is especially powerful, arbitrating decisions that can shape careers, reputations, and earnings.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of arbitrating

Browse Nearby Words

refereed
refereeing
referees
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Cite this Entry

“Refereeing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refereeing. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on refereeing

Nglish: Translation of refereeing for Spanish Speakers

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