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
My retreat was an attempt to find freedom in a place that claims to have dealt with its history. Literary Hub, 27 July 2026 Not only has the approach performed well on CyberGym, but Wiz also claims that Atlas has found more than 200 previously unknown vulnerabilities in open-source projects, with fewer hallucinations and false positives than other alternatives. Tim Keary, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Noun
Luverne, which thanks to a local collector claims to have more of the decorative figurines than people, now boasts the world's tallest nutcracker too. ABC News, 21 July 2026 New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s ambitions to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are unlikely to materialize, despite his claims. Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 21 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for claim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for claim
Verb
  • Rignol has spent over a year in court insisting that Yale used the wrong tools, followed the wrong procedures, asked for the wrong file, and reached the wrong conclusions.
    Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026
  • Supporters insist their measure is nonpartisan, noting that Democratic lawmakers also tried to restrict citizen initiatives before Republicans gained control of the Capitol.
    ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • The strategy has also angered China, which has demanded that Manila rein in the Coast Guard spokesman who leads it.
    Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026
  • Traders were gauging the odds of an imminent hike, and simultaneously demanded more compensation to hold longer government debt, believing that inflation would continue to bite.
    Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 29 July 2026
Verb
  • Spider-Man teams up with Jon Bernthal’s Punisher to take down the green giant and stop the him from destroying the Damage Control skyscraper entirely.
    Jordan Moreau, Variety, 31 July 2026
  • An official for Green Diamond Resources similarly said her company has no intention of destroying the bird’s habitat.
    Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • And both will fit in your pocket without needing a belt to keep your pants up.
    Joe Salas July 26, New Atlas, 27 July 2026
  • For fans who’ve never watched a Banana Ball game — or just need a refresher — the Statesman teamed up with Vavasis to explain what fans should expect on The Blue.
    Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 27 July 2026
Noun
  • What to know Hoisington’s top issues include public education, workers’ rights and healthcare.
    Alexa Newsom, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026
  • Red pandas Ruby, right and Raj, left at the Santa Barbara Zoo.
    Phil Helsel, NBC news, 28 July 2026
Noun
  • Amazon and Anthropic are the absences that matter, because both sell frontier AI capability and both have a direct stake in how this is decided.
    Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • But following an apparent judicial U-turn this week, the high-stakes battle to overturn the controversial legislation has officially restarted.
    Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
Noun
  • But authorities boast that the state has lately become a model for reducing mob mayhem — an assertion that many find suspect.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026
  • In the film, however, Odysseus’s falsehoods have dire consequences, an apparent reflection of the biblical assertion that false witness is a sin.
    Luis Parrales, The Atlantic, 26 July 2026
Noun
  • The public information request process dragged on for several months.
    Kelsy Mittauer, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The district did not immediately respond to The Bee’s request for comment.
    Chaewon Chung Updated July 31, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Claim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claim. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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