CLAIM Synonyms: 207 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

claim 1 of 2

verb

ˈklām

Definition of claim

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

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

as in to destroy

to deprive of life cancer claims hundreds of thousands of Americans each year

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

as in right

an entitlement to something I'm announcing my claim to that last slice of pizza

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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

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

However, a few runs of the American GFS model over the weekend that showed this exact scenario, and a flurry of social media reactions and posts claimed that a hurricane could hit California next week. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2026 After years spent teasing a legally impossible third term, Trump is now describing life after January 2029, picturing himself at home as a successor claims credit. — Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Noun

So, look under the hood of that claim, starting with what those three companies spend. — Joseph M. Singer, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026 Prosecutors called rebuttal witnesses on Tuesday to debunk the defense's claims about Clancy's mental state. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for claim

Recent Examples of Synonyms for claim

Verb

The secretary insisted he is focused on leading the War Department.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 29 Aug. 2026
Alongside workers’ rights organization Arise Chicago and community organizing group Communities United, workers are now stepping forward to insist that the business give them their due — in full.

— Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of insist

Verb

Almost 50 homes and other structures have been destroyed so far; there have been several injuries, and one of Tibbetts’s neighbors lost 20 German shepherds.

— Anya Kamenetz, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2026
The flood then destroyed roads and knocked out power and phone networks, leaving families unable to establish even the most basic facts.

— Laura Saravia, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of destroy

Verb

Patterson, who turns 27 on Tuesday, has experience at guard and center, and the 49ers needed a backup at both spots considering Toth’s lingering concussion symptoms.

— Matt Barrows, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Any business, town or development group needs this data informing their decisions.

— Twila Moon, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of need

Noun

When Chelsea try to shift the ball back across to the right, Brighton press man-to-man and force Fofana to the touchline, leaving him with little option other than to play a long ball into the channel in the direction of Neto.

— Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Their case counts wide-release theatrical movies and the basic cable bundle, and leaves out streaming, YouTube, sports rights, and everything else that now competes for the same hours of your evening.

— Shubha Ghosh, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of right

Noun

Whether in the form of comedy or drama, these stories come with their stakes already built in.

— Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Many important details remain unclear, including the identity of the private operator, who will cover necessary investments and how America’s stake in the company breaks down.

— Collin Binkley, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of stake

Noun

Despite Bonta’s assertion Wednesday that the states made no compromises, the agreement drops a key demand that children be barred from using Facebook and Instagram at school.

— Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026
They were all also alleged to have been prostitutes, though recent scholarship has challenged that assertion.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of assertion

Browse Nearby Words

clads

claim

claimant

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Claim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claim. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of claim

verb

noun

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

dissonant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes