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 In a remarkable Game 4, the Knicks pulled off the biggest-ever comeback of the NBA Finals, clawing their way to a win after being down 29 points. — Matt Nighswander, NBC news, 18 June 2026 But for Season 2, MrBeast and his crew realized viewers wanted to know a little more about the contestants that managed to claw their way to the top. — The Deadline Team, Deadline, 11 June 2026 Jake Shane— born and raised in Manhattan— was sitting in a box with Tate McRae and Hailey Bieber when the Knicks clawed their way back from 29 points down. — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 11 June 2026 Life without either, the pair determine, has left Leonora morose, maladjusted and desperate to claw her way back to the road not taken. — Literary Hub, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for claw

Recent Examples of Synonyms for claw

Verb

Yebba, Jean The sophomore album from vocal powerhouse Yebba is a master class not only in using tone, timbre, and cadence to burrow into the depths of the human condition but also in structuring a gobstopping comeback effort.

— Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 July 2026
Their larvae, which burrow into the flesh of cattle and can be fatal if untreated, can devastate wildlife and bring financial ruin to ranchers.

— Robert Abitbol, USA Today, 4 July 2026

Definition of burrow

Verb

In the last year, Huston has broken his eye socket — twice — and his jaw, as well as lacerating his kidney, per posts on his social media.

— Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 28 June 2026
That biography took the form of a dark romance between the self-lacerating Louis and his fiercely loving but brutal maker, Lestat, filtered through the former’s brooding subjectivity.

— Judy Berman, Time, 2 June 2026

Definition of lacerate

Verb

Those mounds of soil — not apparent in the photograph — were consistent with digging a hole as dirt is shoveled out and dumped along the edge.

— Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 5 July 2026
With the work now being migration, most programs are still shoveling, counting tasks and missing the structure.

— Maman Ibrahim, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Definition of shovel

Verb

Lift okra from egg mixture, allowing any excess to drip off; dredge in cornmeal mixture, pressing gently to fully coat each piece.

— Jasmine Smith, Southern Living, 7 July 2026
When drought tightens the channel, water managers, dredge crews, and lock operators must communicate with towboat companies and shippers nearly every moment.

— Alfredo Sosa, Christian Science Monitor, 24 June 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

Last summer, archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Olympus uncovered the remains of a fifth-century Christian church, bearing an inscription hidden for more than 1,000 years.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
Genetic analysis also resolved longstanding questions about the Golden Man, whose Scythian burial mound, called a kurgan, dates back to around 400 BC to 300 BC and was excavated in 1969 at a site in Kazakhstan.

— Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 6 July 2026

Definition of excavate

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clattery

claw

clawed

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“Claw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claw. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of claw

verb

Example Sentences

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