as in to hush
to stop talking
the little girl clammed up when the doctor came into the room
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of clam up
Trump had been more open to diplomacy near the beginning of Israel’s conflict with Iran, leaving his nuclear deal options open with them, but has since clammed up.
—
Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 21 June 2025
Win your division, and the odds of winning the World Series improve.
I’m tempted to clam up right there because earning a wild-card berth can also lead to winning a World Series — see Bruce Bochy with the 2012 Giants and 2023 Rangers.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2025
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
Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 21 June 2025
Win your division, and the odds of winning the World Series improve.
I’m tempted to clam up right there because earning a wild-card berth can also lead to winning a World Series — see Bruce Bochy with the 2012 Giants and 2023 Rangers.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clam up
Verb
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Inside the airy courtroom, hushed spectators, including Combs’ mother and six adult children, sat on wooden benches.—
Marco della Cava,
USA Today,
3 July 2025
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Ominous guitar accompanies hopeful strings; Chatten's vocals range from breathy, hushed tones to intense speak-singing.—
Audrey Gibbs,
The Tennessean,
2 July 2025
Verb
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Years ago, Eden earned anywhere from $500 to $1,500 a month from her songs getting slots on DSP editorial playlists; now, after the AI boom, that’s mostly dried up—Spotify’s lo-fi playlists spill with viral songs from suspicious profiles with no descriptions.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
2 July 2025
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When businesses can’t protect their merchandise, when families don’t feel safe using public transit and when tourists start skipping Chicago for other cities, tax revenues dry up.—
George Cardenas,
Chicago Tribune,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Desire speaks loudest when financial fear shuts up.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
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The return of the Snack Wrap was just a ploy to get social media haters to shut up.—
David Wysong,
The Enquirer,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clam up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clam%20up. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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