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 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 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

The defense once again gave the offense an opportunity, forcing an Argyle punt, and this time, Heritage capitalized with a 2-yard rushing TD from Vargas to cut the lead to 7 points.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
Later that month, Achilles, a university lecturer, cut a campaign ad in the spirit of a tongue-in-cheek corporate training video on how to avoid starting a foreign war.

— Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 23 Oct. 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

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
To bruise or wrinkle easily, in his thinking, is not necessarily a defect.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 19 Sep. 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

When decades-old music or books are excavated and celebrated — lately a common occurrence amid the retromania of our culture industry — the artists are often long gone.

— Jack Denton, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
Crews excavated an 8-acre basin in the infield to serve as a holding pond, while contractors rebuilt the culverts under the track and reinforced the road leading into it.

— Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 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 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of claw

verb

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