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
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
29 June 2026
Indiana Fever fan-favorite Sophie Cunningham made a blunt statement about Caitlin Clark's treatment in the WNBA by opposing players and referees on Saturday.
—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
27 June 2026
Everybody is judging them—even more so in 2026, since referees are wearing cameras on their temples, so the viewing public can see the game from their point of view.
—
Eric Zillmer,
Scientific American,
26 June 2026
And much of that appears to be related to the psychological influence of crowds on referees and teams.
—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
Seb Stafford-Bloor Are referees being more lenient at this tournament?
—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
25 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
The referees Miami uniform included bright pink shirts during the game.
—
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
Noun
After the referees blew the whistle dead in the fourth quarter, Clark and Bonner got entangled in an exchange of words.
—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
29 June 2026
Indiana Fever fan-favorite Sophie Cunningham made a blunt statement about Caitlin Clark's treatment in the WNBA by opposing players and referees on Saturday.
—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
27 June 2026
Everybody is judging them—even more so in 2026, since referees are wearing cameras on their temples, so the viewing public can see the game from their point of view.
—
Eric Zillmer,
Scientific American,
26 June 2026
And much of that appears to be related to the psychological influence of crowds on referees and teams.
—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
Seb Stafford-Bloor Are referees being more lenient at this tournament?
—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
25 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
The referees Miami uniform included bright pink shirts during the game.
—
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for referees
Noun
-
Jake Mangum then hit a grounder to third baseman Kyle Karros, and the game ended when umpires determined Karros was interfered with by Billy Cook.
-
The umpires saw it differently.
Verb
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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
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Someone decides what counts as cultivation and what counts as nuisance, what gets watered and what gets pulled, what belongs in the planned bed and what must be removed before visitors arrive.
-
Complaints against Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank go to the Israeli military's own prosecution service — the Military Advocate General — which decides whether to open an investigation, and whether any soldier should be charged.
Verb
-
This is where the fine print that determines your actual outcome gets written.
-
Tarrant County Medical Examiner and Death Certificate Records The Tarrant County Medical Examiner handles identification of the deceased and determines the official cause and manner of death.
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 4 Jul. 2026.
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