as in referee
a person who impartially decides or resolves a dispute or controversy
the dean of student affairs is the proper arbiter when a student disputes a grade
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Recent Examples of arbiter
To raise wages and win enforceable safety and job security, workers need more than a neutral arbiter in a lengthy legal process.
—
Shaun Richman, New York Daily News, 6 Apr. 2025
Left unsaid: the arbiter of the law, Boasberg, said those migrants needed to stay in the United States.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 17 Mar. 2025
In a typical court case, the judge is a neutral arbiter who referees a dispute between a plaintiff and a defendant and then either reaches a decision or instructs a jury.
—Henry Gass, Christian Science Monitor, 30 Apr. 2025
That’s because, according to doctors, public health experts and propaganda researchers who know Kennedy’s history well, the health and human services secretary is threading the needle between his agency’s role as a neutral arbiter of science and the rhetoric of anti-vaccine activists.
—Michelle R. Smith, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arbiter
Shaun Richman, New York Daily News, 6 Apr. 2025
Left unsaid: the arbiter of the law, Boasberg, said those migrants needed to stay in the United States.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 17 Mar. 2025
In a typical court case, the judge is a neutral arbiter who referees a dispute between a plaintiff and a defendant and then either reaches a decision or instructs a jury.
—Henry Gass, Christian Science Monitor, 30 Apr. 2025
That’s because, according to doctors, public health experts and propaganda researchers who know Kennedy’s history well, the health and human services secretary is threading the needle between his agency’s role as a neutral arbiter of science and the rhetoric of anti-vaccine activists.
—Michelle R. Smith, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arbiter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arbiter
Noun
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In the 73rd minute of the game, Vinicius Jr confronted a group of Valencia fans in a stand behind one of the goals and called the attention of match referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea, who stopped the game to follow La Liga’s racist abuse protocol.—
Colin Millar,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
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The Galaxy appeared to even the game on a brilliant counterattack goal from Pec in the 78th minute, but after a long video review referee Drew Fischer ruled Pec was offside.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2025
Noun
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But then the government appealed, and a three judge panel of the Ninth Circuit heard arguments in April.—
Quil Lawrence,
NPR,
26 May 2025
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This has been observed across various settings, from judges giving less favorable rulings later in the day to professionals like nurses and air traffic controllers showing reduced cognitive sharpness when mentally depleted.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Noun
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The game was delayed 18 minutes, first for the umpires to deliberate on what the proper ruling would be, then to clear the field of debris thrown from the Rogers Centre stands.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
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The umpire ruled that the out at third was recorded before the run had crossed the plate, but video of the play appeared to show otherwise.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 May 2025
Noun
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The three-strong tribunal of former Supreme Court judges Lords Mance and Neuberger and leading international arbitrator Michael Crane was asked to rule on two disputes.—
Rob Tanner,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
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The Wolves didn’t make any moves but still won recently when an arbitrator ruled Monday in favor of Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez in their long battle with Glen Taylor for ownership of the franchise.—
John Hollinger,
The Athletic,
12 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arbiter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arbiter. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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