claim 1 of 2

Definition of claimnext
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claim

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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
The president further claimed the United States would eventually secure and destroy Iran’s remaining nuclear material. Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 13 June 2026 Plus, this National Historic Landmark also claims to have the largest front porch in the world and the oldest duckpin bowling alley in the United States. Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2026
Noun
Judge’s decision Judge Salinger, in his 55-page decision, granted several motions by various defendants to dismiss the claims in the wide-ranging ruling. Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 14 June 2026 This claim was dubious; the President has unsuccessfully sought a billion dollars in government funding. Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 14 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for claim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for claim
Verb
  • Trump has insisted Iran end its nuclear weapons program and surrender its enriched uranium.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 13 June 2026
  • Rather than containing culture in a single venue, Son de L’amour moves through spaces, as if insisting that memory should not be stationary.
    Desjah Altvater, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
Verb
  • That shift demands something the traditional talent model was never designed to produce.
    Harpreet Sidhu, Fortune, 13 June 2026
  • By condensing development calendars and lead times, companies can achieve a closer response to demand, thereby improving inventory management.
    SJ Studio, Footwear News, 12 June 2026
Verb
  • Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed.
    KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT, Kansas City Star, 14 June 2026
  • Terminix utilizes the advanced Sentricon baiting system alongside traditional liquid barriers to destroy subterranean colonies entirely.
    Nick Perry, USA Today, 14 June 2026
Verb
  • There’s a lot of repairing and resolution that needs to happen in this final episode, but luckily things start strong with Liz and Jo-Ellen pulling each other aside to talk things through on the beach.
    Tom Smyth, Vulture, 15 June 2026
  • The verdict was delivered amid difficult personal circumstances for Mette-Marit, Hoiby’s mother, who needs a lung transplant for pulmonary fibrosis.
    Reuters, CNN Money, 15 June 2026
Noun
  • The report said witnesses claimed that the airplane lost some altitude before regaining it, then flew at treetop height and turned to the right before disappearing from their view.
    Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
  • During a fight for the ball by New Zealand defender Finn Surman and Iranian forward Shahriyar Moghanlou, the ball spilled toward Ramin Rezaeian, who tapped into the far post from close range on the right to tie things up 1-1 tie in the 32nd minute.
    Andrew Greif, NBC news, 16 June 2026
Noun
  • That leaves an interesting two-by-two decision at stake.
    Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 June 2026
  • The conflict feels contemporary without growing too cynical, and the core relationship stakes seem real without skewing hopeless.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 19 June 2026
Noun
  • The bill also required more documentation of work and income to participate, despite advocates' assertion that states were already collecting lots of paperwork.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 19 June 2026
  • Southgate’s confident assertion that the tide of history was turning against bigotry now looks utopian, or even naïve.
    Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 18 June 2026
Noun
  • Israel’s request to see the text was rejected by the US, an Israeli source told CNN.
    Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 17 June 2026
  • Tandoori Pizza did not respond to a request for comment from The Sacramento Bee.
    Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Claim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claim. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.

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