CLAW Synonyms: 32 Similar and Opposite Words

claw

verb

Definition of claw

as in to burrow

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

as in to lacerate

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 claw At its best, the film shows a similar spirit of curiosity and passion, but there’s a great 4-hour doc inside here trying to claw its way out. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026 The first, a corner, saw McBurnie free at the far post to hit a shot Lammens did well to claw out before the ball fell to Semi Ajayi in space in the six-yard box, having evaded Harry Maguire and Noussair Mazraoui. — Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 He and his wife, Carol, are bombarded with calls and letters from creditors that remind them daily of their inability to claw their way up to zero. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 July 2026 As the critical 72-hour rescue window closes in Venezuela, families claw through rubble in La Guaira and beyond after a pair of earthquakes left hundreds dead and tens of thousands missing. — Regina Garcia Cano, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for claw

Recent Examples of Synonyms for claw

Verb

Fertilized queen bumblebees burrow just a few inches into the soil or hide under dense leaf mulch to survive the freezing months ahead, to lay eggs in the following spring.

— Manjot Kaur Sidhu, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
Asbestos has tiny needle-like fibers that burrow deep into tissue, creating chronic inflammation that spurs the development of cancers of the lungs, voice box and ovaries.

— Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of burrow

Verb

Renminbi’s place in global central-bank reserve coffers has actually fallen since 2022, despite Beijing shoveling its currency into developing economies through central-bank swap lines.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
But earlier this year, the Navy reservist and his friend shoveled a six-carat diamond from a field in Arkansas where he's found over 300 gems so far.

— LAURA TURBAY, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of shovel

Verb

Sullivan denied that the law would cut Medicaid for Alaskans, saying the Affordable Care Act had a greater impact and raised insurance premiums in the state drastically.

— Matthew Choi The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
The new version of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been cut from a five-hour show performed across two parts to a single three-hour performance as it is performed on Broadway.

— Jake Kanter, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of cut

Verb

The combined sewage-overflow tanks that are supposed to divert sewage from running into the canal won’t be complete until 2029 — a seven-year delay that might require parts of the canal to be re-dredged again to remove the contamination.

— Kim Velsey, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2026
His defenders have dredged statues out of rivers and remounted them.

— Peter C. Mancall, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of dredge

Verb

Double-bass glissandos hint at hands grubbing in the earth, while abrupt moments of concerted action—notably, an accordion wheezing out an F-sharp-minor chord—suggest flickering signals and transmissions.

— Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Despite his esoteric interests, Machen grubbed up a career as a popular and prolific author.

— Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026

Definition of grub

Verb

But the archaeologists who excavated the new skeletal fragments from Shanidar Cave in the Kurdistan region of Iraq say the fossils weave a complex tale of Neanderthal life and death, beyond what appeared to be deliberate violence.

— Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
The current trend of excavating video game nostalgia continues with this latest cinematic adaptation of the popular franchise that dates all the way back to 1987.

— Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of excavate

Browse Nearby Words

clattery

claw

clawed

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Claw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claw. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of claw

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on claw

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

bon vivant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes