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

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
But as much as the school can claim major government, business and military figures, the actors are the main draw for most visitors. Chris Willman, Variety, 4 Apr. 2026 Some receiving payments also have claimed erectile dysfunction, toenail fungus, urinary tract infections and acid reflux in their medical evaluations. Tony Saavedra, Oc Register, 4 Apr. 2026
Noun
The website doesn't process insurance claims, instead directing cash-paying consumers to drug manufacturers websites or coupons that can be used at pharmacies. Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2026 Filled with statistics to back up his claims, as well as interviews with key players Dale Murphy, Bob Horner and Joe Torre, Montgomery analyzes what contributed to the team’s decade-long slump after making it to the playoffs in 1982. Suzanne Van Atten, AJC.com, 5 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for claim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for claim
Verb
  • Nowadays, the two positions blur together, but his father, Troy, and Harvard-Westlake coach David Rebibo insisted his aspirations were to be on the ball.
    Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Shaban, an hour into his testimony, insisted again to Doucette that he was never charged with a crime.
    Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Snuffing them out demanded excellence.
    Troy Renck, Denver Post, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Addressing screens in school demands a greater sense of urgency.
    Abby McCloskey, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Toxins build up and start to destroy the kidneys and liver.
    Jerome Groopman, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Renowned for its beauty and ability to attract butterflies, butterfly bush (Buddleia) can spread quickly and outcompete and destroy native plants.
    SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 5 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Fuentes needed a name for this group of acolytes who showed up at Kirk’s events.
    Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Beren is exactly what the hospital district has needed ever since King Tut moved a few blocks east.
    Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Those riots kickstarted the LGBTQ+ rights movement in America, and beyond.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Apr. 2026
  • Privacy law may apply to, say, a stranger who broadcasts a toddler’s febrile seizure to a potential audience of millions, but the same child generally cannot claim a legal right to privacy from his mother or father.
    Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Few in Islamabad can remember a time when the Pakistani capital has been at the center of such high-stakes diplomacy.
    Brian Dakss, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
  • In what amounts to a home run for baseball fans in this state and region, Monfort has agreed to sell a 40 % minority stake in the Rockies to the Penner Sports Group, composed of Broncos’ co-owners Greg Penner and Carrie Walton Penner.
    Troy Renck, Denver Post, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Murphy made a similar assertion in his Wednesday ruling, also claiming that the Supreme Court not immediately lifting the blocks on ending TPS for Haiti and Syria before justices hear those arguments strengthens his ruling.
    Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Know More The Pentagon’s recent assertion of editorial control over Stars and Stripes is part of a broader and well-documented crackdown by the department over any media coverage that could be seen as critical of the department or even simply unsanctioned by its official communications operation.
    Max Tani, semafor.com, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Despite making a lower hourly rate than Milstein, Chan still collected more in total wages than her in 2025 through cashing out sick and vacation time, according to tax documents and payrolls obtained by The Bee through a public records act request.
    Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Neighbors opposed to a soccer star’s plans for a six-plex in the Westside are appealing after a judge denied their request for a review.
    Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Claim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claim. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.

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