as in to hush
to stop talking
the little girl clammed up when the doctor came into the room
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of clam up
Again and again, West apologized to Ciara Miller for talking mess to the New York Times, handling their breakup poorly, and then clamming up all summer.
—
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 30 May 2025
Meet Them At Their Comfort Level Some CEOs are great at being conversational and engaging on video; others clam up and want to use a script—which severely limits any feeling of authenticity.
—Elizabeth Baskin, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
While Lydia wallows in the residual pain, Paul has clammed up.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024
While Lydia wallows in the residual pain, Paul has clammed up.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024
Judges struggle to name favorite cheese Ask a judge to pick their favorite and most will clam up, dodge the question or offer a long, unranked list.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024
One social worker said that a girl clammed up in a recent interview that her mother was invited to.
—Scooty Nickerson, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024
City clams up over chance of lawsuit Antoine Bryant, director of planning and development, apologized to City Council members for soliciting the contract to pay for the murals using city money without the nine-member body's approval, which is required.
—Detroit Free Press, 25 Jan. 2024
Jim Harbaugh will coach not to lose and clam up just enough to let Ohio State’s amazing skill talent pull the upset late.
—J. Brady McCollough, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2023
Bethy Squires, Vulture, 30 May 2025
Meet Them At Their Comfort Level Some CEOs are great at being conversational and engaging on video; others clam up and want to use a script—which severely limits any feeling of authenticity.
—Elizabeth Baskin, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
While Lydia wallows in the residual pain, Paul has clammed up.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024
While Lydia wallows in the residual pain, Paul has clammed up.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024
Judges struggle to name favorite cheese Ask a judge to pick their favorite and most will clam up, dodge the question or offer a long, unranked list.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2024
One social worker said that a girl clammed up in a recent interview that her mother was invited to.
—Scooty Nickerson, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024
City clams up over chance of lawsuit Antoine Bryant, director of planning and development, apologized to City Council members for soliciting the contract to pay for the murals using city money without the nine-member body's approval, which is required.
—Detroit Free Press, 25 Jan. 2024
Jim Harbaugh will coach not to lose and clam up just enough to let Ohio State’s amazing skill talent pull the upset late.
—J. Brady McCollough, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clam up
Verb
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That 2-1 defeat was a stinger — Tōko Koga’s decisive goal in the 50th minute hushed an otherwise raucous San Diego crowd.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
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Young Morrison got a harsh lesson in how things are done in a blue state: Liberal groupthink is gospel, dissenters are heretics who should be hushed.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
28 May 2025
Verb
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So many retailers are offering up to 70% off warm-weather trends (like strappy flats) and wardrobe essentials (like wide-leg jeans), at least before the deals dry up at midnight.—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
26 May 2025
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That's because there's less airflow around each plant, which helps dry up excess moisture that can allow pathogens to take hold.—
Viveka Neveln,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 May 2025
Verb
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Large companies and small and dirty riverside businesses shut up shop, leaving scrub and wasteland.—
Sarah Beckwith,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
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Ventura responded the next day by resharing a post from the culture website Shade Room showing a screenshot of rapper Playboi Carti telling Ye to shut up.—
Deon J. Hampton,
NBC news,
10 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clam up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clam%20up. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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