claim 1 of 2

verb

ˈklām How to pronounce claim (audio)
Definition of claimnext
1
as in to insist
to state as a fact usually forcefully people who claim that they have been kidnapped by aliens from other worlds

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to demand
to ask for (something) earnestly or with authority after many years had passed, he suddenly appeared to claim his inheritance

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to destroy
to deprive of life cancer claims hundreds of thousands of Americans each year

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to need
to have as a requirement caring for her three small children claims virtually all of her time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
as in assertion
a solemn and often public declaration of the truth or existence of something Galileo's claim that the moon has a very irregular surface and thus is not the perfect sphere that the ancients had imagined

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Müller’s central argument has been that populism should primarily be defined as a movement in which a leader claims to represent a silenced or forgotten—and almost always exclusionary—majority. —Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2025 Jenkins claimed that once this new and sustainable arrangement was in place, but with The Chosen still streaming on Angel, the studio began to violate the terms of their contract. —Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
Smith and Hill, who was also named in the lawsuit, both vehemently denied all claims of wrongdoing and accused the plaintiffs of being jealous of Piper’s popularity and success. —Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 9 Apr. 2025 Rather than a time of reconciliation, Lee’s surrender was a moment in which a wide range of Americans, including both generals, staked rival political claims. — Made By History, Time, 9 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for claim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for claim
  1. insist
  2. demand
  3. destroy
  4. need
  5. right
  6. stake
  7. assertion
  8. request
Verb
  • The government insisted there was no evidence that the AP had been harmed irreparably.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Why does the club insist on rebuilding via purchasing players as opposed to harnessing the talents of academy players instead?
    — Sam Lee, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of insist
Verb
  • With the lawsuit, Poole and Cartwright’s father, Michael Cartwright, demand a jury trial.
    — Julia Marnin, Sacbee.com, 2 Apr. 2025
  • Employees and consumers will demand open communication, ethical AI practices and leaders sharing their decisions and reasoning.
    — Izabela Lundberg, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
Definition of demand
Verb
  • Af Klint edited her own notebooks later in life, rewriting or destroying entire passages and exorcising biographical details.
    — Jay Cheshes, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Helicopters dumped water over a burning forest in South Korea Thursday as fire crews struggled to contain the country's worst-ever wildfires, which have killed 28 people, forced at least 37,800 to flee their homes and destroyed thousands of structures and vehicles.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of destroy
Verb
  • Jones will need to undoubtedly run a personal best in the 100-meters to walk home with $100,000.
    — Katelyn Hutchison, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Azaleas may need watering daily at first then after several months every two to three days.
    — Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2025
Definition of need
Noun
  • Getting this messaging right was crucial for Guster.
    — Ryan Miller, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Within about half the gulf, the U.S. has sovereign rights for exploring, managing natural resources and jurisdiction, as international law allows, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.
    — Mark Strassmann, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of right
Noun
  • By December 2023, the private equity firm had taken a majority stake in the British business and set an ambitious expansion plan; targeting 350 outlets by 2031.
    — Kevin Rozario, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Trump’s 53% ownership stake in the company, now in a trust controlled by his oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., rose by $415 million on the day.
    — Time, Time, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of stake
Noun
  • The Big Story Congress pushes back as Trump snubs Signal chat The White House’s assertion that the case surrounding national security officials’ use of Signal is closed is getting pushback in Congress, even among some Republicans who say their own probes will press on.
    — Julia Shapero, The Hill, 7 Apr. 2025
  • In conversation, de Moraes often veers between jokes and brusque legal assertions.
    — Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of assertion
Noun
  • Representatives for Ventura and Combs have not responded to PEOPLE's request for comment.
    — Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 6 Apr. 2025
  • One of the grant termination notices, obtained through a records request, purported to cancel funding for the Vaccines for Children program in Kansas, which provides vaccinations to uninsured and Medicaid-eligible children.
    — Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2025
Definition of request

Browse Nearby Words

clads
claim
claimant
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Claim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claim. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on claim

Nglish: Translation of claim for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
See More

Popular

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

8 Words with Fascinating Histories
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a game of hangman on lined paper
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All