as in referees
a person who impartially decides or resolves a dispute or controversy
the dean of student affairs is the proper arbiter when a student disputes a grade
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of arbiters
Just as decisions should be devolved to the smallest competent unit rather than centralized bureaucracies, customers — as the ultimate arbiters of value — must be empowered to judge what truly serves their needs and dignity.
—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Moreover, clinicians are winning more than 70% of IDR disputes because independent arbiters recognize that insurers are underpaying.
—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
11 Apr. 2026
Later, criticism also came from arbiters of high modernism, such as Clement Greenberg, who wrote off New Deal art as kitsch for the masses.
—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
Are the corporations that release the powerful technology the arbiters of their fate?
—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Judges here run in partisan elections but are expected to be neutral arbiters on the bench.
—
Charlotte Observer,
16 Feb. 2026
What explains the loss of poise and dignity among the traditional arbiters?
—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Appoint a Book Club Editor in Chief I’m all for democracy, but there’s still a place for arbiters of taste.
—
Lauren Mechling,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2026
The idea of them working together was born out of friendship, said Capaldo, adding that there are many parallels between the trajectories of the two brands, dressing and engaging with cultural arbiters of their respective times.
—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
17 Dec. 2025
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Moreover, clinicians are winning more than 70% of IDR disputes because independent arbiters recognize that insurers are underpaying.
—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
11 Apr. 2026
Later, criticism also came from arbiters of high modernism, such as Clement Greenberg, who wrote off New Deal art as kitsch for the masses.
—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
Are the corporations that release the powerful technology the arbiters of their fate?
—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Judges here run in partisan elections but are expected to be neutral arbiters on the bench.
—
Charlotte Observer,
16 Feb. 2026
What explains the loss of poise and dignity among the traditional arbiters?
—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Appoint a Book Club Editor in Chief I’m all for democracy, but there’s still a place for arbiters of taste.
—
Lauren Mechling,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2026
The idea of them working together was born out of friendship, said Capaldo, adding that there are many parallels between the trajectories of the two brands, dressing and engaging with cultural arbiters of their respective times.
—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
17 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arbiters
Noun
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After the referees blew the whistle dead in the fourth quarter, Clark and Bonner got entangled in an exchange of words.
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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.
Noun
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In at least four cases, judges have granted summary judgment in favor of Abbott — ruling for the company before the lawsuits reached trial.
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By the early twentieth century, lawyers and judges considered natural law to be irrelevant to the legal system, and the language all but disappeared from legal arguments and decisions.
Noun
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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.
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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.
Cite this Entry
“Arbiters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbiters. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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