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to claw

to claw

31 1.1
To scratch or tear something with a sharp nail
  • verb
  • /klɔː/
translation icon : arañar
  • She clawed her way up the steep hill, determined to reach the top.

Maybe she's clawed the guy, maybe it's his blood.

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Examples

  • The cat clawed at the scratching post to sharpen its nails.

  • We scratch and claw, but only at the air, only at each other.

  • The dogs shot the length of their chains and tried to claw through his door.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • And the team still had to scratch and claw its way into the Big Dance.

    Blog text (12)
  • If she cared to claw him now, she could really tear him up.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • You are constantly clawing your way from project to project, trying to claw your way up.

  • He attacks his victims from behind and then claws at them.

  • The bear stared back now, clawing at the bed, trying to dig us out.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The kitten claws at my leg and cries, and I lift him into my arms.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • The kitten clawed at my bare ankle, and I dangled a peapod in front of him.

    Fiction book (1993)

Synonyms

to scratch
vsto claw
161 1.1

To cut or mark a surface by scraping it with something sharp

involves using nails or similar body parts rather than tools
to scrape
vsto claw
62 1.2

To rub material off a surface with something hard or sharp

emphasizes using nails rather than any hard object
to paw
vsto claw
9 1.0

To scrape or hit something repeatedly with an animal's foot

usually uses nails to dig or tear with stronger impact
to scratch up
vsto claw
1 3.5

Make small cuts or marks on a surface by rubbing it

is more about active tearing or digging rather than only surface damage
to clapperclaw
vsto claw
  • Archaic
9.9

To scratch someone with nails or claws

is more about scratching, digging, or tearing without attacking intent
to scritch
vsto claw
9.9

To make a harsh scraping sound by rubbing against a surface

focuses on cutting, tearing, or digging rather than making noise

Idioms

To reach the top by fighting and pushing through many problems

tooth and claw
  • Literature
1 7.8

To fight very hard and often unfairly to win

9.9

Act in a very fierce and aggressive way when trying to keep or get something

Compounds

4 2.9

A sweet yeast pastry shaped like a semicircle with slits

3 2.9

A tool like a hammer with a curved end used to pull nails

1 6.4

A sharp claw from a bear used as an ornament or piece of jewelry

8.3

A carved or painted design that looks like a bear's claw on pottery and crafts

9.9

A shrub with curved seed pods and shiny black seeds

cat's-claw
  • Specialized
8.3

A plant or extract used as a medicine for inflammation and to help the immune system

3.6

A clip with two rows of teeth that lock together to hold hair

A small axe with a curved, split back used to pull nails and cut wood

A plant that lives one year with pale flowers marked with purple and a long curved seed pod

9.1

A plant with pale flowers spotted purple and a long curved seed pod like a claw

devil's claw
  • South African
7.8

A plant from southern Africa whose root is used to reduce swelling and joint pain

2.5

A clip with teeth and a spring that holds hair in place

A plant with claw-shaped seed pods that grows in sandy soil

How Damaging

to shred
112 2.6
to tear
1.0
to claw
31 1.1
to scrape
62 1.2

Surface Forms

claw infinitive
clawed past
clawed past participle
clawing present participle
claws third person singular

Etymology

Claw when used as a verb comes from the old noun clawu 'hook', meaning to use a hooked nail. So to claw someone or something is to scratch or tear at them with your nails.