referees 1 of 2

noun

plural of referee
as in umpires
a person who impartially decides or resolves a dispute or controversy served as the unofficial referee in disputes over the family business

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referees

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of referee
as in judges
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

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 referees
Noun
That said, England’s best VARs are still predominantly EPL referees, too. — Graham Scott, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 The state compared Atrium to a soccer team whining about the referees. — Bob Herman, STAT, 18 Aug. 2026 Dulcich would have also been flagged for holding a few times if referees were at practice. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2026 The league office needs to send a directive to all team owners, coaches, players and referees, to stop this behavior and play like professionals. — Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026 The other problem is that the referees addressed that exact question after the game. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 Aug. 2026 In the early hours of the following morning, four referees who officiated the match were allegedly taken to a massage parlor by the KFA, which spent 760,000 Korean won ($536). — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for referees
  1. umpires
  2. judges
  3. decides
  4. determines
  5. settles
Noun
  • Managers or pitching coaches making mound visits will sometimes signal toward umpires for a timeout.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • But the umpires thought otherwise and forced him to pull Brown.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of umpires
Verb
  • This week’s newsletter looks at why people are drinking less alcohol, how the world judges America and how many people use chatbots like a friend.
    — Scott Clement, Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2026
  • That’s a hard sell in a market that judges most leaders on quarterly results.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of judges
Verb
  • If the prosecution decides to retry the case, a new jury would be selected, and the case would proceed to a new trial with a different jury.
    — Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The Tate brothers remain in jail in the US while a judge decides on the request for their extradition to Britain, where they are wanted on rape charges.
    — Reuters, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of decides
Verb
  • Rather bizarrely, that means Nvidia is in the hands of the oil market, because the oil market determines inflation and inflation determines Warsh's thinking.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Although vaccination prevents measles, trust determines whether people accept the vaccine.
    — Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of determines
Verb
  • Adebo could see some action against three-receiver sets regardless, depending on what Harbaugh settles with at the slot corner spot.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • As the fiscal reality of these mandates settles in communities across the state, the scramble of local governments to avoid cutting both core and beloved school programs like Outdoor School will become even more frantic.
    — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of settles

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refereeing
referees
reference
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Cite this Entry

“Referees.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/referees. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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