REFEREES Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

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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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

The rules governing red cards are sacrosanct in the international game, and Belgium were joined by legions of federations, fans, pundits, heads of state and former referees in excoriating FIFA for the decision to let Balogun play. — Julian Cardillo, Boston Herald, 7 July 2026 On Monday, the Brazilian soccer federation defended Claus as one of the world’s leading active referees, praising his technical expertise and ethics. — ABC News, 6 July 2026 Coaches publicly blasted referees, players openly questioned the consistency of calls, and Engelbert eventually acknowledged that something had to change. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026 The on-field referees initially awarded yellow cards, which was reasonable, before VAR watched replays that prompted upgrades to red. — Luke Bosher, New York Times, 5 July 2026 The government focused on referees reviewing a slow-motion replay before the red card was issued, according to the officials. — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 5 July 2026 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for referees

Noun

When Ian Happ made the final out of the frame, the umpires convened and called a delay, a rare stoppage because of the fog-shrouded Wrigley Field.

— Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
Contreras has always been an overheating boiler of a ballplayer, with a history of arguing with umpires, throwing bats and helmets, and willing to charge the mound over any slight, real or imagined.

— Steve Buckley, New York Times, 2 July 2026

Definition of umpires

Verb

But on the third day of qualifying for Wimbledon 2026, a power outage downed the electronic line-calling system that judges whether shots are in or out, causing matches across 18 courts to be suspended for over an hour.

— Caoimhe O'Neill, New York Times, 25 June 2026
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.

— Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026

Definition of judges

Verb

This information is continuously shared across a command-and-control network that decides whether an engagement is necessary, selects the most suitable interceptor, and determines the optimal launch time.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 July 2026
To this, Dobos says more information on the molecular size and weight of the structure (which determines the level of skin penetration) is needed.

— Sarah Han, Allure, 6 July 2026

Definition of determines

Verb

Choose a soothing activity, maybe watercolor, music, cooking, or a quiet walk, and give it your full attention so your spirit settles.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 5 July 2026
Merchants pay interchange on card payments and hold working balances that earn them nothing, and a coin that settles instantly, costs less to accept and, under Open USD’s model, pays them the yield on their balances answers both at once.

— Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of settles

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“Referees.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/referees. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of referees

noun

verb

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