CLAWING Synonyms: 33 Similar and Opposite Words

clawing

verb

present participle of claw

as in burrowing

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

as in lacerating

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for clawing

Verb

Double-bass glissandos hint at hands grubbing in the earth, while abrupt moments of concerted action—notably, an accordion wheezing out an F-sharp-minor chord—suggest flickering signals and transmissions.

— Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Released in 1958, Attack told of a wealthy heiress, fresh from a stint at a mental institution, who is turned into a giantess and then deals with her philandering husband and his no-good, money-grubbing floozy.

— Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 9 Jan. 2026

Definition of grubbing

Verb

Two generations of viewers have now grown up consuming The Daily Show’s lacerating take on politics.

— Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026
In the last year, Huston has broken his eye socket — twice — and his jaw, as well as lacerating his kidney, per posts on his social media.

— Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 28 June 2026

Definition of lacerating

Verb

While retracing his route, revisiting photos, and dredging her memories for clues to his distress, Lotte encounters dangers and pushes her limits.

— Monitor reviewers, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Aug. 2026
Most of the gold bullion aboard the Fort Stikine was lost, but dredging operations in the harbor have continued to unearth some of these bricks, including as recently as 2011.

— Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of dredging

Verb

Upgrading to the Thrust Variant requires a $245,000 follow-up payment and adds SpaceX cold-gas rear thrusters alongside an active multi-mode fan system for downforce, cutting acceleration down to under a second.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
And by cutting China off, Washington gave Beijing every reason to build its own alternatives.

— Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of cutting

Verb

Oversized turkey platters, enormous serving bowls, banquet-sized gravy boats, chafing dishes, and buffet servers may not earn their keep in a smaller-scale entertaining routine.

— Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2026
Beside me in the rickety wooden seating, filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun is also chafing at the lack of chaos, their gentle blue eyes fixed ahead.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of chafing

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.

Browse Nearby Words

clawed

clawing

clawlike

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Clawing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clawing. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of clawing

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes