Definition of claimnext
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claim

2 of 2

noun

1
as in right
an entitlement to something I'm announcing my claim to that last slice of pizza

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in stake
a legal right to participation in the advantages, profits, and responsibility of something a shareholder has a claim in the business

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
4
as in request
something that someone insists upon having young children make great claims on their parents' time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb claim contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of claim are demand, exact, and require. While all these words mean "to ask or call for something as due or as necessary," claim implies a demand for the delivery or concession of something due as one's own or one's right.

claimed the right to manage his own affairs

In what contexts can demand take the place of claim?

The synonyms demand and claim are sometimes interchangeable, but demand implies peremptoriness and insistence and often the right to make requests that are to be regarded as commands.

demanded payment of the debt

When would exact be a good substitute for claim?

The words exact and claim are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, exact implies not only demanding but getting what one demands.

exacts absolute loyalty

Where would require be a reasonable alternative to claim?

In some situations, the words require and claim are roughly equivalent. However, require suggests the imperativeness that arises from inner necessity, compulsion of law or regulation, or the exigencies of the situation.

the patient requires constant attention

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 claim
Verb
Sometimes companies claimed the whole country, like the Aluminum Company of America which eventually became Alcoa (AA) or the Radio Corporation of America which became RCA. — Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 12 Oct. 2026 Larry, however, claimed that Breckman’s weight was not the motivation for his casting. — Blake J. Harris, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
Noun
Earlier this year, Parker asked the Supreme Court to throw out the requirement to pay Maricopa County’s legal fees in the case, arguing such sanctions would deter attorneys from bringing aggressive or novel legal claims. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026 In healthcare, a model flagged a patient at risk, scored a claim or surfaced a pattern. — Heather Bassett, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for claim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for claim
Verb
  • While officials insist the demolitions are a non-negotiable step toward revitalizing the corridor along Old National Highway, the families and owners left in the wake of the bulldozers say true recovery remains a distant promise.
    — La'Tasha Givens, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • There is a distinction, of course, between insisting on witnesses and staging a spectacle.
    — Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Speed, volume and rapidly shifting vectors are why a base of automation is required, while complexity and risk are the factors that demand human intervention.
    — Carlos Morales, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Depending on the route, manufacturers can add protective layers and steel-wire armoring to help the cable withstand demanding conditions, particularly in shallower waters where anchors and fishing equipment pose greater risks.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Rather than undertaking the difficult but just and moral work of reform of the nation's immigration laws, Vance would destroy and expel their families with a smile, claiming that such actions will save you money.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Running low on fuel, NASA chose to steer Cassini straight into Saturn's atmosphere, where the spacecraft was destroyed.
    — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Each assembly keeps its own filament loaded, ready for the next time it's needed.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Four turboprop engines power the aircraft, giving it the performance needed for demanding military transport operations.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Sony Pictures Classics picked up worldwide rights during the festival, and the film has since played Toronto’s Discovery program.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Karen Huger is sober, Wendy Osefo is fighting to reclaim her reputation, Tia’s husband is cheating on her, and Ashley Darby remains committed to the sacred constitutional right to be in everybody’s business but her own.
    — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Hines cofounded Nxum in 2022 with his father, Todd Hines, and marketing executive Gary Dennis, with each partner holding equal ownership stakes.
    — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
  • After all, the state just went through a high-stakes game of chicken with David Ellison, who threatened to move Paramount to locales like Tennessee or Texas if California kept pursuing him in court over his successful bid to acquire Warner Bros.
    — Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Speaking to Fox News Digital, Kravetz dismissed assertions that her group relies on DSA tactics, emphasizing that CVPE supporters span the political spectrum.
    — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Multiple individuals within the world of independent film backed up Skolnick’s assertions about his reputation and the wider industry to IndieWire.
    — Adam B. Vary, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Customization requests through direct messages accounted for approximately 30 percent of first-year business.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The California secretary of state's office did not respond to requests for comment.
    — SAFIYAH RIDDLE, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Claim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claim. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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