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
TeraWulf claims that unexercised warrants confer no real ownership or control at this moment and so didn’t need to be disclosed. Petala Ironcloud, ArsTechnica, 7 Sep. 2026 Holmes founded Theranos in 2003 and became one of Silicon Valley’s most celebrated young entrepreneurs by claiming the company could perform a wide range of medical tests using only a few drops of blood. Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Noun
On April 3, the AP released the raw footage of the incident to counteract her claims. Nick Holdstock, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026 The doc debunks his claim that people will be able to live on the red planet in a self-sustaining city in 20 years. Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for claim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for claim
Verb
  • The ruling insisted the defendants were not being tried because of their political views.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
  • In 2006, Wales insisted that their national anthem, ‘Land of Our Fathers’, should be the last thing performed before the game in Cardiff began.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • But airlines were furious, demanding that the head of NATS, Martin Rolfe, consider resigning after the second air traffic meltdown in three years.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
  • No movie is surely worth all that, and yet judging by the 195-minute version that unspooled in Venice’s main competition, DAU is a considerable artistic achievement that demands our attention from the very first frame.
    Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • After Israel destroyed Jenin refugee camp during the Second Intifada in 2002, a young girl looked into Mohammad Bakri’s camera and said that Palestinians would live proudly as eagles and die standing like lions.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • That’s because key refineries that produce it have been knocked offline or destroyed, both in Eastern Europe — where the Ukraine-Russia war still rages — and in the Middle East.
    Steve Kopack, NBC news, 11 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Chip manufacturers need equipment to deliver extremely high levels of precision, repeatability and reliability while operating continuously in production environments.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
  • All John needs to do is recite the Green Lanterns oath the next time Hal hands him his ring for training.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Not to be confused with inverted full backs, an inverted winger is a wide player who is used on the opposite side of the pitch to their strong foot — so a left-footer on the right or a right-footer on the left.
    Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • If something is shared with the Public Service Commission, should not the public have every right to that information?
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The White House then confirmed Monday that the OSC would receive a 35% stake in NABEP under the deal.
    Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Larger checks mean higher stakes for fraud Larger checks mean higher stakes for thieves.
    Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The Washington Examiner has reached out to Fox News for comment on Freedman’s assertion.
    Molly Parks, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Issacharoff did not identify a source or time period for his assertion that births have exceeded deaths.
    Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 4 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The city did not immediately respond to ABC News' request on potential toxins first responders were exposed to in the aftermath or allegations by agencies at the time that the air was safe.
    ABC News, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Biggs has put out an informal request on social media asking county residents to weigh in on the idea.
    Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Claim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claim. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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