claim 1 of 2

1
2
3
4

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
Designed by University of Waterloo researchers, the solid gravity energy storage system is claimed to be suitable for storing renewable energy. Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025 Allen’s reparative narrative, though, actually revolves around Maddie’s nine-year-old daughter, Caroline (River Lipe-Smith), who has only just claimed her pronouns and, as the title tells us, her name. Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
An antitrust claim is also alleged. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 18 Oct. 2025 No evidence has ever surfaced to support that claim. Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for claim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for claim
Verb
  • Daniels insisted the impact of the shutdown on air traffic controllers was not just insular and would continue to impact the aviation sector and broader American economy.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2025
  • But the question, as Stephanopoulos kept insisting, was not about whether this rose to the level of criminality.
    Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • At concerts, screaming fans began to demand that D’Angelo strip, some even throwing money on stage.
    Vann R. Newkirk II, The Atlantic, 18 Oct. 2025
  • The prosecutor demanded a high cash bond as a result of the serious nature of the charges.
    Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Almost every building is damaged or destroyed beyond repair.
    Kara Fox, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025
  • According to Craig Croucher of the Bot Builders, around 300 spectators turned out to watch the robots destroy each other.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In the late 18th century, Paris’s existing cemeteries were causing public health problems, and the remains of more than six million people needed to be moved.
    Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 22 Oct. 2025
  • But other senior officials defended the decision, arguing that Latin America’s biggest economy needs to shore up its energy independence amid global economic uncertainty, and that Brazil should only transition away from fossil fuels as part of wider international efforts.
    Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • But the appeals court mandate would mean first-time DACA applicants in Texas would not have the right to work, and existing DACA recipients who are working could lose their ability to do so.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Oct. 2025
  • However, the rights that these certificates grant are not equal to the rights afforded to straight couples.
    Abby Monteil, Them., 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • As Robbie's actions target stash houses run by the notorious Dark Hearts motorcycle gang, a deadly turf war erupts, escalating tensions in the city and drawing both law enforcement and criminal factions into a high-stakes battle over control, survival and justice.
    Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The brokerage rose are trading 3% higher after several large investors raised their stakes in the trading platform, per regulatory filings.
    Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The heist comes off as an acte gratuit—André Gide’s term for an action whose motivelessness is an assertion of freedom—and gives rise to the existential adventure of a hunted man on the run.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Then-Media School Dean James Shanahan rebutted the assertion, saying the school had never sought to influence the paper's content.
    Cate Charron, IndyStar, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Allied officials did not respond to an interview request.
    Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2025
  • San Bernardino County Sheriff Haro’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
    Madeline Morrison, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Claim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claim. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on claim

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!