claim 1 of 2

Definition of claimnext
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claim

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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
After noticing that one of the items purchased was the entire Lip Critic discography on Bandcamp, Kaser was later confronted by the fan at one of their shows, who claimed to have decoded hidden messages in their music. Alastair Shuttleworth, Pitchfork, 2 May 2026 While some candidates claim the yellow slip of paper led to the mistake, Platte County Presiding Commissioner Scott Fricker said documents show candidates were made aware of the dual filing requirement through other paperwork provided by the county. Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 2 May 2026
Noun
The book’s central claim is that the survival of US civilisation depends on the technological revitalisation of the military-industrial complex. The Week Uk, TheWeek, 3 May 2026 Duffy also advised passengers to consider credit card chargebacks, travel insurance claims or bankruptcy filings for additional recovery options. Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 3 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for claim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for claim
Verb
  • Instead, a top Justice Department official insisted the ruling wasn't binding, and the administration continued denying detainees around the country a chance for release.
    ABC News, ABC News, 2 May 2026
  • Instead, a top Justice Department official insisted the ruling wasn’t binding, and the administration continued denying detainees around the country a chance for release.
    Sudhin Thanawala, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
Verb
  • My parents bickered constantly, my sister was demanding and always in a conflict with them, and my grandparents would scream at each other.
    R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 2026
  • Much like the demonstrations two decades ago, organizers on Friday also called for a general boycott — no school, no work, no shopping — in an effort to demand that the country put workers above billionaires by taxing the rich.
    Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
Verb
  • The Trinity fire, which started May 1 in Phelan, burned 19 acres with no structures damaged, though the blaze destroyed an unknown number of Joshua trees.
    Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2026
  • But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian forces destroyed several military and other targets, while also inflicting significant damage on oil port infrastructure.
    ABC News, ABC News, 3 May 2026
Verb
  • The United States, searching for self-definition but loath to lose its illusions—its innocence—needed all of this as a counterpoint.
    Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
  • The Moon moves through your 4th House of Home, bringing focus to your environment or emotional base and what needs support.
    Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 4 May 2026
Noun
  • The two heartthrobs have also become fashion icons in their own right.
    Dalila Muata, NBC news, 5 May 2026
  • The Declaration’s insurrectionist contention—that people, when unjustly provoked, have the right to dissolve their government—hung heavily in a country that had just witnessed the eleven states of the Confederacy make the same argument.
    Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Noun
  • Still, the story, in which an underdog plays knight in shining armor to a mysterious woman, is far too schematic to have real stakes in a franchise that revolves around another character.
    Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 1 May 2026
  • At the top of racing’s competitive tiers are graded stakes.
    Neil Greenberg, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Noun
  • White House and Pentagon officials have not responded to requests for comment on Iran’s assertion.
    Michael Loria, USA Today, 8 May 2026
  • But Democrats dismissed such assertions.
    Travis Loller, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Noun
  • In February, opponents packed the City Hall chambers ahead of a planned Historic Preservation Board meeting, which was ultimately deferred at the Fontainebleau’s request after one of the board members didn’t show up.
    Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Virginia’s Democratic attorney general, Jay Jones, urged the state Supreme Court to pause the lower court’s order and allow certification of the election to resume, a request the commonwealth’s high court denied on Tuesday.
    Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 28 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Claim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claim. Accessed 8 May. 2026.

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