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
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Recent Examples of referee
Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
Controversy surrounding referees is nothing new in sports, but as the WNBA grows in popularity and viewership, more scrutiny has also fallen upon the league to increase the quality of its on-the-court product.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 24 July 2025
Alexandria Burris, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Yes, Mahomes has a 7-0 record when Clay Martin referees his games, counting the Chiefs’ 23-14 victory over the Houston Texans in the divisional round Saturday.
—Mike Sando, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for referee
Noun
Andrade hit The Message, but Nikki Cross pulled the referee out for the DQ finish.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
Controversy surrounding referees is nothing new in sports, but as the WNBA grows in popularity and viewership, more scrutiny has also fallen upon the league to increase the quality of its on-the-court product.
—Sean Neumann, People.com, 24 July 2025
Verb
Ponder, a retiree from Oklahoma who referees pickleball games, met Grubbs in 2017 at an international tournament in Spain.
—Alexandria Burris, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
Yes, Mahomes has a 7-0 record when Clay Martin referees his games, counting the Chiefs’ 23-14 victory over the Houston Texans in the divisional round Saturday.
—Mike Sando, The Athletic, 20 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for referee
Recent Examples of Synonyms for referee
Noun
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Home plate umpire Marvin Hudson got between Montgomery and Bochy, and tempers simmered after a few moments.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
30 July 2025
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Plate umpire Edwin Moscoso correctly determined both were balls, but Schlittler’s gaze toward home lingered after the rulings.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
29 July 2025
Verb
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The 193-member U.N. General Assembly decided in September last year that such a conference would be held in 2025.—
Michelle Nichols,
USA Today,
28 July 2025
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The Padres will play just three more games—against the NL East-leading Mets, no less—before A.J. Preller decides exactly what strings to pull before Thursday.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 July 2025
Noun
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City Council President Mary Sheffield's office asked Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallett to clarify what is allowable under the judge's order.—
Dana Afana,
Freep.com,
26 July 2025
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Daybell filed motions to have the judge replaced and to get her cases retried.—
Miguel Torres,
AZCentral.com,
26 July 2025
Verb
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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
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Gary, though, did have one last piece of business to settle — with Ballard herself, stalking her in the dark of the cold case unit’s basement HQ.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Should a fee agreement between the clubs not be reached, the total due to Palace will be determined at a tribunal by the Professional Footballers’ Compensation Committee.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
31 July 2025
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An exact path for the tunnel has not been determined.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
31 July 2025
Verb
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In December 2024, the teen driver in the March 2024 incident was adjudicated delinquent — the juvenile version of being found guilty — of aiding and abetting first-degree assault of a peace officer.—
Kathryn Kovalenko,
Twin Cities,
18 June 2025
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The board adjudicates violations of the city’s ethics code and gives advice to city employees.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Referee.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/referee. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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