CLAIM Synonyms: 207 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

claim 1 of 2

verb

ˈklām

Definition of claim next

as in to insist

to state as a fact usually forcefully people who claim that they have been kidnapped by aliens from other worlds

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to demand

to ask for (something) earnestly or with authority after many years had passed, he suddenly appeared to claim his inheritance

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to destroy

to deprive of life cancer claims hundreds of thousands of Americans each year

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to need

to have as a requirement caring for her three small children claims virtually all of her time

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

claim

2 of 2

noun

as in right

an entitlement to something I'm announcing my claim to that last slice of pizza

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as in stake

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

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as in assertion

a solemn and often public declaration of the truth or existence of something Galileo's claim that the moon has a very irregular surface and thus is not the perfect sphere that the ancients had imagined

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

China claims the democratic self-governing island as its own, and Xi has not ruled out using force to take it. —

David Rising, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026 For example, countries like Greece and the Netherlands require that travelers spend at least 50 euros (US$58) at a retailer in order to claim a refund, according to Rick Steves’ Europe, a travel and tour company. —

Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 30 May 2026

Noun

The British, however, had not given up their claims on the rapidly growing United States, and in late 1814 launched an attack on New Orleans, hoping to control both the port and its control of the Mississippi River traffic. —

Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 31 May 2026 Timroth acquired an adjacent mining claim that same year and built the cabin for he and his wife. —

Logan Smith, CBS News, 31 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for claim

Recent Examples of Synonyms for claim

Verb

While many people online insisted the loft should be used as a bedroom, by simply placing a mattress on the floor, Giangreco quickly ruled that out for practical reasons that mattered far more to her than aesthetics.

— Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 30 May 2026
Yet for an artist who spent a lifetime insisting that viewers become active participants rather than passive spectators, the exhibition arrives not simply as a memorial, but as a reminder of how much Le Parc influenced contemporary art.

— Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 30 May 2026

Definition of insist

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clads

claim

claimant

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“Claim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claim. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.

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Synonyms of claim

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noun

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