as in referee
a person who impartially decides or resolves a dispute or controversy
usually acts as umpire in the all-too-frequent squabbles between the two other roommates
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to decide
to give an opinion about (something at issue or in dispute)
in our family disputes regarding the use of our home entertainment system are umpired by Dad
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 umpire
Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
The Mets challenged the catch, and an umpire review upheld it.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 6 July 2025
Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2025
The throw did not interfere with the play, but the umpiring crew convened regardless.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for umpire
Noun
Fans attending a Bananas game should expect a wide variety of antics, like dancing umpires, players wearing kilts and more.
—Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
The Mets challenged the catch, and an umpire review upheld it.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 6 July 2025
Verb
During the game, several calls were missed by the umpiring crew, including Eddings behind the plate.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2025
The throw did not interfere with the play, but the umpiring crew convened regardless.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for umpire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for umpire
Noun
-
The referee called it a low blow, allowing Usyk time to recover.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 July 2025
-
Jimmy Uso; Jacob Fatu Returns Bianca Belair will be the special guest referee tomorrow at WWE Evolution when Jade Cargill faces Naomi.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
Verb
-
Every candidate has already been vetted for safety; A.I. can identify low-hanging fruit, and then humans can decide whether the pairing is ripe for picking.—
Dhruv Khullar,
New Yorker,
15 July 2025
-
Peskov said Putin would need time to analyze Trump's remarks, some of which were directed at him, and to decide whether to comment.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
The decision to reopen the case to the public eye came a little more than a month after the previous judge retired.—
Evan Mealins,
The Tennessean,
13 July 2025
-
On Thursday, a federal judge placed a temporary nationwide block on Trump’s order ending birthright citizenship.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
13 July 2025
Verb
-
But if a real estate investment isn’t in the cards at the moment, settle for the next best thing by renting one of the many villas currently listed on Airbnb.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
14 July 2025
-
The Packers failed to build on their terrific finish to the 2023 campaign, settled for the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoffs, and lost a Wild Card game to eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
The four semifinalists were determined based on point differential with the Raptors (+15.8), Thunder (+14.8), Hornets (+12.7) and Kings (+11.5) finishing ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves (+9.5) and Atlanta Hawks (+8.0).—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
20 July 2025
-
The release of information is expected to take weeks, possibly months, as legal teams review the transcripts to determine what can be safely disclosed without exposing victims or other sensitive details.—
Mandy Taheri
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 July 2025
Verb
-
Additionally, the terms state that robotaxis shouldn’t be used to provide emergency transportation and that riders in the pilot program will need to arbitrate any dispute.—
Alan Ohnsman,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
-
Given his often conflicting obligations to cyberspace operations under Title 10 of the U.S. Code and signals intelligence under Title 50, he is compelled to arbitrate in favor of one or the other, rather than advocate on behalf of either side.—
James G. Stavridis,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Oct. 2013
Verb
-
Since the Biden administration continued its policy of blocking appointments to fill its vacancies, there is now no quorum to adjudicate trade disputes, leaving countries little incentive to abide by the rules anymore.—
Christiaan Hetzner,
Fortune,
12 July 2025
-
Only about half of the cases have been adjudicated so far, Sexton said.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Verb
-
Given to the coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team’s success.—
The Athletic NHL Staff,
New York Times,
12 July 2025
-
After encouragement from the Barcelona players, the goal was reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), who adjudged that Maanum had strayed marginally offside before receiving the ball.—
Asif Burhan,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Umpire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/umpire. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share