as in umpire
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 to decide
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
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Recent Examples of referee
Devin Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025
What did the Irish referee say at the end of the soccer match?
—Nicole Harris, Parents, 27 Feb. 2025
Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 5 Jan. 2025
There are usually mixed reactions when NFL referees flag pass interference.
—Chantz Martin, Fox News, 20 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for referee
Noun
After the referees deliberated, Knight was awarded the timeout and 0.4 seconds were placed on the clock, setting the stage for the dramatic finish.
—Devin Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025
What did the Irish referee say at the end of the soccer match?
—Nicole Harris, Parents, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
Shanahan then appeared to appeal to referee Shawn Smith, to no avail.
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 5 Jan. 2025
There are usually mixed reactions when NFL referees flag pass interference.
—Chantz Martin, Fox News, 20 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for referee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for referee
Noun
-
Major League Baseball umpires get the vast majority of ball-strike calls right.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
-
Previously tested in the minor leagues, with positive feedback and results, the ABS challenge system enables pitchers, batters and catchers — but not managers, crucially — to fact-check umpires in real time by requesting a specific pitch be reviewed by the automated zone.—
Aaron Gleeman,
The Athletic,
24 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Conversely, could the Blues still decide to add to the roster?—
Jeremy Rutherford,
The Athletic,
7 Mar. 2025
-
But when Allie decides to give her ex-fiance a second chance and jilts her new flatmate, Hedra’s demure demeanor begins to shift and increasingly sour.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
In 2024, Boston federal judge Dennis Saylor dismissed Mexico's case but he later was overruled by a federal appeals court.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
3 Mar. 2025
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In June 2009, a judge at the High Court in London ruled that the work carried out by Corby Borough Council on the town’s steelworks between 1985 and 1997 had been negligent.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Slotkin spoke from Wyandotte, Mich., a working-class community south of Detroit, as Democrats struggle to settle on a unified message to combat Trump, which was on full display Tuesday night as Trump delivered the longest address to Congress by a president in U.S. history.—
Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports,
arkansasonline.com,
5 Mar. 2025
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Slotkin’s spoke from Wyandotte, Michigan, a working-class community south of Detroit, as Democrats struggle to settle on a unified message to combat Trump, which was on full display Tuesday night as Trump delivered the longest address to Congress by a president in U.S. history.—
Joey Cappelletti,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Learn to use local frost dates to determine when to start seeds indoors and how to prepare seedlings for life outdoors.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
9 Mar. 2025
-
The city medical examiner will determine the child’s cause of death.—
Elizabeth Keogh,
New York Daily News,
9 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Those requests are now before the Merit Systems Protection Board, a panel of three judges that adjudicates federal personnel disputes.—
Lydia DePillis,
New York Times,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Deportation cases in the U.S. are largely adjudicated through a court process, and turning in individuals before they are convicted would have a chilling effect in immigrant communities, Johnson’s Office of Immigrant Rights argued in a memo last week to aldermen.—
Jake Sheridan,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Any such controversy or claim shall be arbitrated on an individual basis, and shall not be consolidated in any arbitration with any claim or controversy of any other party.—
TIME for Kids,
TIME,
21 Feb. 2025
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McDonough was obligated to arbitrate his claims, as opposed to litigating them.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
14 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Referee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/referee. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
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