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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of referees
Mike Jones, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Swayman went down to one knee and the referees broke up the skirmish.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026
The 5-foot-7 junior showed slick moves to the basket and a nice shooting touch, aided by the referees’ unwillingness to whistle her for using her free hand to ward off defenders.
—Tris Wykes, Twin Cities, 31 Jan. 2026
Every study is limited by its design, and a largescale quantitative analysis cannot reveal the motives of individual referees.
—Emil Steiner, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The players say little in games, letting Bibby work over referees when warranted.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
That makes the task of sorting wheat from chaff much more time-consuming for editors and referees, and also more technically difficult.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
People talk about referees swallowing their whistles in the closing seconds of a one-point game.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
Noun
But the commissioner said technology could be used as a tool to support referees and ensure the correct calls are made.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Swayman went down to one knee and the referees broke up the skirmish.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 2 Feb. 2026
The 5-foot-7 junior showed slick moves to the basket and a nice shooting touch, aided by the referees’ unwillingness to whistle her for using her free hand to ward off defenders.
—Tris Wykes, Twin Cities, 31 Jan. 2026
Every study is limited by its design, and a largescale quantitative analysis cannot reveal the motives of individual referees.
—Emil Steiner, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The players say little in games, letting Bibby work over referees when warranted.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
That makes the task of sorting wheat from chaff much more time-consuming for editors and referees, and also more technically difficult.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
People talk about referees swallowing their whistles in the closing seconds of a one-point game.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for referees
Noun
-
Years ago, Major League Baseball had a crisis in which umpires notoriously had their own versions of the strike zone for batters.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
That committee is set to vote later this year on managers, executives and umpires, with Bruce Bochy and Dusty Baker among those who could be elected for the Class of 2027.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The winner was chosen by an independent panel, which each year judges the entries on artistic achievement.—
Thomas Smith,
Billboard,
16 Oct. 2025
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Joining judges Bruno Tonioli, Carrie Ann Inaba and Derek Hough this week is former dancing pro Kym Johnson.—
Brianne Tracy,
PEOPLE,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Amazon is spending heavily on marketing — even as the company shed 16,000 workers just days before the film’s release — possibly because Prime Video exec Mike Hopkins, the guy who ultimately decides marketing budgets for the streamer’s films, is known to lean conservative.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
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Who decides to ask the questions, and who decides to write?—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The micromold determines the final geometry.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
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And that difference often determines whether an exit becomes a stressful almost, or a strong, intentional choice.—
Lien De Pau,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Dolly Parton Continues Chasing First Bestseller As Parton settles into the runner-up space, she is kept from her first leader on the Digital Song Sales chart for the second time in her career.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Given a steady object of focus, the mind settles.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Referees.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/referees. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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