umpires 1 of 2

noun

plural of umpire
as in referees
a person who impartially decides or resolves a dispute or controversy usually acts as umpire in the all-too-frequent squabbles between the two other roommates

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

umpires

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of umpire
as in judges
to give an opinion about (something at issue or in dispute) in our family disputes regarding the use of our home entertainment system are umpired by Dad

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 umpires
Noun
The umpires congregated for 15 seconds, and then went back to playing ball. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026 After a brief huddle by the umpires, plate ump and crew chief Alan Porter ejected Martin without any warning issued. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026 The home crowd booed, and then waited several more minutes before the umpires spoke again. — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026 The umpires deliberated, then crew chief Chris Guccione spoke separately with Blue Jays manager John Schneider and Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy. — Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 11 Aug. 2026 Seigler scored Boston's only run in a 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays on a chaotic double play that resulted in a 17-minute delay as umpires sorted out the whole thing. — ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
For the first time in the big leagues, umpires’ ball and strike calls can be challenged and either upheld or overturned after a quick review of the pitch data. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for umpires
  1. referees
  2. judges
  3. decides
  4. determines
  5. settles
Noun
  • The state compared Atrium to a soccer team whining about the referees.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Dulcich would have also been flagged for holding a few times if referees were at practice.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of referees
Verb
  • MasterChef Australia judges Yeow and Sofia Levin later spoke to 10 News about welcoming Meghan to the set, describing an enthusiastic atmosphere among the contestants.
    — Erin Hill, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
  • Which means Beijing is regulating what your fifteen-year-old does after dinner, behind a closed door, with an entity that never tires of them, never judges them, and never has a bad day of its own.
    — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of judges
Verb
  • That trial is scheduled to begin next month, but could be pushed back or canceled altogether depending on what the judge decides.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Whatever the judge ultimately decides, the case will continue on copyright claims involving allegedly unauthorized samples of sound recordings owned by the plaintiffs.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of decides
Verb
  • Experience may open the door, but character is often what determines how far someone ultimately goes.
    — Hao Lam, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The statute of limitations determines how long a debt collector generally has to sue you over a debt, and the timeline varies by state and type of debt.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of determines
Verb
  • The Russia and Ukraine conflict grinds into a fifth year; a new Fed chair settles in while tariff policy whipsaws through the courts; tensions with allies and adversaries alike continue to flare.
    — Nigel Morris, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The deal settles any claims over Suno’s prior use of BMG’s music in training data.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of settles

Browse Nearby Words

umpired
umpires
umpiring
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Umpires.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/umpires. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on umpires

Nglish: Translation of umpires for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of rigmarole

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All