refereeing

verb

present participle of referee
as in deciding
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

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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 refereeing All of which brings us to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon and the biggest refereeing controversy of the new Premier League season. — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 Following the game, coach Jose Mourinho’s sharp comments on the refereeing decisions got lapped up on social media this week, and all eyes will now be on how Madrid bounce back against Inter. — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026 Without an internal number, a company is refereeing a fight among people who profit from the fight. — Jason Goldberg, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Once the contest was underway, Perrin began livestreaming on Instagram while simultaneously refereeing the matches, making her the organizer, referee and camera operator all at once. — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 6 Aug. 2026 The agency in charge of refereeing disciplinary cases for California state workers was called into question this month when the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation sued the State Personnel Board. — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 29 July 2026 Social media has been flooded with posts from users in Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, Ecuador and Peru questioning refereeing decisions or expressing disapproval of Argentina, while messages mocking rival teams also proliferated from Argentine accounts. — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refereeing
  1. deciding
  2. settling
  3. determining
  4. judging
  5. adjudicating
  6. umpiring
  7. arbitrating
Verb
  • Cautionary collections Another consideration when deciding what to do with all the leaves falls under the category of health and safety.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Roth conversions impact tax benefits When deciding on a Roth conversion, projections should include the current year's taxes, along with an analysis of future years, financial advisors say.
    — Kate Dore, CFP®, EA, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of deciding
Verb
  • Worthy settling in is an encouraging development for the Chiefs, especially with Rice potentially returning as soon as next week.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2026
  • By 1968, Mitchell moved to Los Angeles, settling in Laurel Canyon, which was becoming a hub for singer-songwriters including David Crosby, Graham Nash and others.
    — Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of settling
Verb
  • The exact motive behind this particular campaign remains unclear because determining the next step would require engaging with the sender.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The discussion centered on how that tool might become part of a connected filmmaking process, with human direction and VFX expertise still determining how its images fit together.
    — Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of determining
Verb
  • Apparently not Trump, judging by his appointment of someone whose debut was anything but professional.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • After a few years of photographing, reviewing and judging burgers, Blackwell started doing pop ups, serving their own creations.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of judging
Verb
  • The states likewise argued that the board does not raise First Amendment concerns, arguing that the deal will not put the court in the position of adjudicating news judgments.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026
  • City attorneys argued that the city’s long-standing practice of adjudicating those cases by the Chicago Police Board should remain in place.
    — Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of adjudicating
Verb
  • Eventually, friends remember, Brun stopped umpiring Little League games.
    — Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Ogilvie has also squeezed in umpiring the last three years.
    — Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
Definition of umpiring
Verb
  • The planned center for arbitrating investment and commercial disputes, for example, will sit within the Syrian Investment Authority, which is itself attached to the presidency.
    — Jesse Marks, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Plaintiffs attorneys, legislators and patients say Kaiser’s private and confidential process for arbitrating legal disputes over medical care still has key flaws that favor Kaiser over patients bringing malpractice cases.
    — Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of arbitrating

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refereeing
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Cite this Entry

“Refereeing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refereeing. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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