1. Claim means to assert a right to a thing as one’s own. It means neither to say, to assert, to declare, to maintain, to hold, to allege, nor to contend.
2. He claims the right to be heard.
3. He maintains that he ought to be heard.
4. He asserts that such is the fact.
Note.—It is better not to use claim with the conjunction that.
Degrade, demean, debase.
1. Being in disgrace, the captain was degraded from his rank.
2. He demeans himself sometimes well, sometimes ill.
3. He debases [or degrades] himself by his profanity.