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 This summer has been all about Spider-Man, but Wolverine is ready to claw his way back into people’s hearts — literally. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 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 The entire cast is part of an underground ballroom competition, going claw to claw in matchups that rank the best poses, death drops, outfits, name brands, and choreography. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for claw

Recent Examples of Synonyms for claw

Verb

Both artists, Morris points out, were working in the context of World War II, and the owl’s ability to both burrow and take flight may have appealed to feelings of entrapment and a desire to escape.

— Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Edelman said the bat appeared to be trying to burrow between her lips and into her mouth.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of burrow

Verb

Meanwhile, two sauna masters shovelled ice infused with fragrant oil onto the rocks and performed an Aufguss, a German ritual in which towels are twirled to spread scented air.

— Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2026
Right now, that means shoveling rocks, insulating and backfilling the basement of the American Hotel, the original hotel in the town which burned down in 2020.

— Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of shovel

Verb

Lopez tossed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Carlos Hernandez to cut Miami’s lead to 11 points.

— Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
The decline raises the prospect of an interest rate cut by the central bank at next week’s monetary policy committee meeting, the penultimate one for this year.

— Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of cut

Verb

Less than two miles long and a third of a mile wide, the islet was created from sand dredged from the river in the 1960s when the Elbe was deepened to allow container ships to travel upriver to port in Hamburg.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
Seasonal sand berms to limit coastal flooding and protect public safety will begin to go up along the beach in the next week, and the San Dieguito Lagoon inlet will also be dredged, likely in the first two weeks of November.

— Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 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

Jingdezhen’s Imperial Kiln Institute researches and restores ceramics excavated from an adjacent complex, where pieces for emperors were crafted in kilns whose remains are still visible today.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
The comedian and performer has long excavated his Midwestern roots for his stand-up.

— Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 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 20 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of claw

verb

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