CLAW Synonyms: 32 Similar and Opposite Words

claw

verb

Definition of claw

as in to burrow

Related Words

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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 Next week, Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil will attempt to claw its way to the top spot. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Sep. 2026 There was the panic attack that moved him to claw his way out of an MRI machine. — Jesse McLaren, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026 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 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 See All Example Sentences for claw

Recent Examples of Synonyms for claw

Verb

Water snakes prefer the wetlands, riverbanks, lakes, and streams, and tiny species like flathead snakes are more likely to push through topsoil, mulch, and damp earth, rather than burrow underground.

— Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 7 Nov. 2026
Fruit flies, or Drosophila, begin life as larvae that feed and burrow in decomposing fruit.

— Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of burrow

Verb

It's typically seen as a safe-haven asset, which is why investors were shoveling money into it earlier this year.

— Cooper Katz McKim, NPR, 6 Nov. 2026
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

Definition of shovel

Verb

Early in the second quarter, Chisholm Trail found the end zone on a 55-yard touchdown pass, cutting the margin to 21-14 heading into halftime.

— Ryan Hunt, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Nov. 2026
Within moments of picking up the phone and without even any real prompting, Kylee Russell was cutting right to the chase.

— Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 14 Nov. 2026

Definition of cut

Verb

In August, the City Council gave the green light on a project to dredge the bay to a depth of 20 feet to help ensure ships don’t run aground, according to a September memo written by the city’s director of public works.

— Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of dredge

Verb

Delicate produce like raspberries, blueberries, herbs and soft tomatoes can bruise under aggressive scrubbing, so University of Minnesota Extension suggests turning them gently in a colander while spraying them with cool water.

— Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
While these tracks are endearing enough, Way Dynamic’s real magic sits at the juncture of folk and forlornness, when Young’s guitar is allowed to ramble and his regrets are sharp enough to bruise.

— Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of bruise

Verb

But commissioner Rodgers would do it – once he's done taking another jab at those money-grubbing owners.

— Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of grub

Verb

Inspectors reported violations earlier this year New York City’s buildings commissioner, Ahmed Tigani, said Wednesday that construction workers were excavating the empty lot next door when the building buckled.

— Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2026
On a Sunday morning in May, 25 mph winds from the northwest assailed the Tangier coast, driving waves that busily excavated the brick and cinderblock remnants of an old structure, possibly a house.

— John Anglim, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of excavate

Browse Nearby Words

clattery

claw

clawed

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Style

“Claw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claw. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of claw

verb

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