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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of referees
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2026
Initially, the referees ruled Freeman had been offside.
—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
20 June 2026
Women make up just 22% of referees in the United States, down from about 30% in other nations.
—
Alex Connor,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
During first-half stoppage time, Rezaeian’s free kick was headed home by Ali Nemati, but Nemati was clearly offside and the goal was waived off by the referees.
—
Iliana Limón Romero,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
The referees Miami uniform included bright pink shirts during the game.
—
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
Evans was in an off-site booth for video referees.
—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
15 June 2026
And even then, referees seemed to regard injuries as nuisances that stopped the flow of the game.
—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
The referees chosen to work the 2026 World Cup have some new tools to speed up the games and ensure that any match-altering officiating mistakes are corrected.
—
Russell Lewis,
NPR,
12 June 2026
Noun
The president participated in the trophy presentation and handed out awards to the players and referees after Chelsea won the match.
—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2026
Initially, the referees ruled Freeman had been offside.
—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
20 June 2026
Women make up just 22% of referees in the United States, down from about 30% in other nations.
—
Alex Connor,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
During first-half stoppage time, Rezaeian’s free kick was headed home by Ali Nemati, but Nemati was clearly offside and the goal was waived off by the referees.
—
Iliana Limón Romero,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
The referees Miami uniform included bright pink shirts during the game.
—
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
Evans was in an off-site booth for video referees.
—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
15 June 2026
And even then, referees seemed to regard injuries as nuisances that stopped the flow of the game.
—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
The referees chosen to work the 2026 World Cup have some new tools to speed up the games and ensure that any match-altering officiating mistakes are corrected.
—
Russell Lewis,
NPR,
12 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for referees
Noun
-
Only two umpires will be present for the start of the Texas Rangers vs San Diego Padres game at Globe Life Field because of weather and travel issues in Dallas-Fort Worth on Friday.
-
The umpires conferred and spoke with Venable, who seemed puzzled by the inquisition.
Verb
-
The order created an AI Litigation Task Force inside the DOJ, gave it until January 10 to stand up, and pointed it at any state rule the administration judges too heavy a burden on the technology.
-
This time, judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie convinced him to give the show another shot, igniting his journey all the way to the finale.
Verb
-
Lucky decides to take Mason to his first baseball game in Atlanta, only to encounter a series of complications and setbacks for which fatherhood, grief, and economic barriers are a distinct part of the Black American experience.
-
Outgoing Mayor Vi Lyles has announced her intent to resign by June 30 or whenever the council decides on her replacement.
Verb
-
It is based on a process known as topology optimization, which is a computational method that determines the most efficient material placement.
-
The protections for those who pass background checks initially last for up to 18 months but are automatically extended unless the government determines that conditions in a country have sufficiently improved.
Verb
-
Which frontier model wins, which lab pulls ahead, which assistant the market finally settles on, none of it is easy to predict.
-
Before My Morning Jacket settles into San Francisco for an October residency, frontman Jim James is turning inward.
Cite this Entry
“Referees.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/referees. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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