bench

noun

ˈbench How to pronounce bench (audio)
Definition of benchnext
1
as in judge
a public official having authority to decide questions of law appealed to the bench for leniency

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in tribunal
an assembly of persons for the administration of justice a ruling from the bench is expected any day now

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 bench Doug Gibson, the novel’s closest thing to an idealist, is a pugilistic criminal-defense lawyer, the kind with ads on bus-stop benches. — Peter C. Baker, New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2026 One of those orange bottles of Banana Boat sunscreen is resting somewhere on a curb or a bench or maybe even taking a swim in the Anacostia River. — Noah White, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2026 No changes to the state supreme court bench are happening in Kansas' future. — Saige Miller, NPR, 5 Aug. 2026 After all, Hassabis isn’t leaving the company, and Google has a deep bench of AI talent. — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bench
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bench
  1. judge
  2. tribunal
  3. court
Noun
  • This contrasts sharply with a federal judge's decision days earlier, blocking Minnesota from criminalizing prediction markets, a win for Kalshi and the CFTC who argue federal preemption.
    — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • First applied by a few individual judges in 2019, it was rubber-stamped by a lower section of the supreme court in 2023, which led to regional judges across the country, who rule on citizenship cases, applying it to would-be citizens.
    — Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of judge
Noun
  • Employment tribunal cases involving neurodivergent conditions rose by 95% between 2020 and 2025, including a 19% rise in the final year.
    — Nancy Doyle, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • This includes a High Court lawsuit claiming breach of contract, as well as an employment tribunal for wrongful dismissal and gender discrimination.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of tribunal
Noun
  • Members of the Montreal City Police Department found the weapon, a Glock 26, on August 30, 2024, when officers raided a home in relation to a kidnapping investigation, court records show.
    — Mark Morales, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act means the court cannot order Meta to request children to submit personal data or be passively tracked online, even for age verification purposes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of court

Browse Nearby Words

bemusing
bench
benches
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Cite this Entry

“Bench.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bench. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bench

Nglish: Translation of bench for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bench

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