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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to destroy

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to need

to have as a requirement caring for her three small children claims virtually all of her time

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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

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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

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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

One fake warning claimed the browser was missing a component and encouraged visitors to click a button to fix it. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026 The fintech and payment company infamously fired a large chunk of its workforce, claiming AI could do the job before reportedly hiring many workers back. — Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 17 Aug. 2026

Noun

Cox disputed claims Wells was left stranded when his clients, Warren Hudson, 19; Jax Pitalo, 20; and Morgan Seymour, 19, left the area. — Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026 The rest of the attention in this discussion will be to the efforts by Florida on claims of AI as a public nuisance. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for claim

Recent Examples of Synonyms for claim

Verb

Instead, airlines are insisting on custom designs to stand out.

— Edward Russell, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
And alumni are among the college’s best ambassadors for spreading that message, insists Emma Donatille, executive director of the WCC Foundation that has handed out nearly $440,000 in scholarships over the years.

— Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of insist

Verb

The trial was originally set to test the drug on 300 people, but due to demand from trial investigators to include more of their patients, the researchers expanded the pool of participants to 350.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 19 Aug. 2026
As the United States slips further into a debt hole, investors are demanding greater compensation for the risk of lending to the government.

— Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of demand

Verb

The Inwood Fire Department said dozens of cabanas were damaged or destroyed at the Sun and Surf Beach Club in Atlantic Beach.

— CBS News, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
In Solomianskyi district, the top two floors of a 9-story residential building were destroyed and fires broke out on other floors.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of destroy

Verb

But there is a deeper question of why a modern tech company, especially an AI company, would need to soften their image with cotton and canvas.

— T.M. Brown, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
The National Tunnel needs a 295-foot steel liner, similar to work used to repair the Greer Tunnel two years ago in Peters Township.

— Megan Shinn, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of need

Noun

Much like the universal right to access fresh—and delicious—food.

— Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026
Once confined to biotech labs and the disposable income of Silicon Valley billionaires, longevity is no longer a tech bro hobby and has become a consumer aspiration in its own right.

— Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of right

Noun

Backstage, Tommaso Ciampa says this year’s Casino Gauntlet has the biggest stakes since the winner earns a chance at the AEW World Championship.

— Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
One of Thrive’s subsidiaries, Thrive Eternal, focuses on sports acquisitions, purchasing and selling a stake in the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies before acquiring stakes in the Miami Heat and MLB’s San Francisco Giants, among others.

— Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of stake

Noun

The journal retracted the study in 2010 and the author, who lost his medical license because of his assertion, has never been able to replicate his findings.

— Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Across the globe, anti-gender campaigning is frequently tied to right-wing nationalism, white supremacy, and assertions of patriarchal power.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of assertion

Noun

Families can also participate in daily arts and crafts sessions, with materials provided on request and staff on hand to help kids create their own souvenirs.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026
Friday’s hearing likely will address a disagreement between prosecutors and the defense over the retrial location – not necessarily over whether to move it, but over the defense’s new request to have it in Charleston specifically.

— Devon M. Sayers, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of request

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clads

claim

claimant

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“Claim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/claim. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of claim

verb

noun

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