Definition of claimnext
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claim

2 of 2

noun

1
as in right
an entitlement to something I'm announcing my claim to that last slice of pizza

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in stake
a legal right to participation in the advantages, profits, and responsibility of something a shareholder has a claim in the business

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
4
as in request
something that someone insists upon having young children make great claims on their parents' time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb claim contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of claim are demand, exact, and require. While all these words mean "to ask or call for something as due or as necessary," claim implies a demand for the delivery or concession of something due as one's own or one's right.

claimed the right to manage his own affairs

In what contexts can demand take the place of claim?

The synonyms demand and claim are sometimes interchangeable, but demand implies peremptoriness and insistence and often the right to make requests that are to be regarded as commands.

demanded payment of the debt

When would exact be a good substitute for claim?

The words exact and claim are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, exact implies not only demanding but getting what one demands.

exacts absolute loyalty

Where would require be a reasonable alternative to claim?

In some situations, the words require and claim are roughly equivalent. However, require suggests the imperativeness that arises from inner necessity, compulsion of law or regulation, or the exigencies of the situation.

the patient requires constant attention

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 claim
Verb
At the time, Caleb had called 911 and claimed that an intruder had broken in and killed Ashley. — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2026 Trans-exclusionary feminists like Julie Bindel or Kathleen Stock, and for that matter Davidson and Craven, enjoy regular access to the national media to delegitimize trans identity while claiming transgender people undermine women’s voices. — Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
Noun
The Seal is voluntary and requires manufacturers to apply and submit evidence supporting their claims. — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026 Wells' friends said Wells did not return to the mainland with them, choosing instead to stay behind to talk with a girl, a claim his family has disputed. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for claim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for claim
Verb
  • The president and his allies have insisted that existing liability laws offer enough protections.
    — Jeff Masonand Michael Shepard Bloomberg, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Ribera insists that this misunderstands the European perspective.
    — Justin Worland, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • As Haitians on both sides of the island took sides, Dominican authorities demanded an apology, nationalists denounced the statement as an affront to Dominican sovereignty, and Haiti’s foreign ministry distanced the government from it.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The Barcelona turmoil late on Monday followed protests across the country over the weekend that demanded measures to resolve a crisis sparked by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid, the country's capital.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Noguchi, Nakashima, and Amino were adults on February 19, 1942, when President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which forced Japanese American families to quickly abandon or destroy their property and board trains to the holding centers.
    — Robert Sullivan, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Refineries in Russia have been destroyed or damaged by drone attacks.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • In its base case, about 11 million workers, roughly 7% of the workforce, would need to leave their occupations entirely, with a range of 6 million to 16 million.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Engineers needed the spacecraft to track specific targets with enough precision for reliable emissions measurements.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Still, the fact that a movie is coming out that will get people talking about our relationship to Facebook and Instagram feels significant in its own right.
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Election runoff in Brazil Senator Flavio Bolsonaro rose to a surprise lead over leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, setting the nation up for a sharp shift to the right.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In 2008, Lauder made a minority investment in the Ayurvedic beauty brand Forest Essentials, then increased its ownership stake in 2020.
    — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The best moments on records like Redemption, Blackheart, and Second Line use her knack for grand, metaphysical metaphors to charge her singing with epic stakes.
    — Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Some requests were for DeepSeek’s technology, a finding that bolsters assertions from Congress that the company is in bed with the CCP’s military and spying apparatus.
    — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2026
  • This study gives us a reason, beyond the assertions of law enforcement leaders, to believe the Flock system deserves some credit for San Francisco's drop in car thefts.
    — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The staff are friendly and are happy to facilitate requests like for in-room Peloton bikes, special calming playlists or local neighborhood tips.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Employers should also make checking a request part of the job.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Claim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claim. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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