buttoned-up
adjective
but·toned-up
ˈbə-tᵊnd-ˈəp 
: coldly reserved or standoffish
a buttoned-up executive
Synonyms
Examples of buttoned-up in a Sentence
a buttoned-up colleague who had no interest in talking about anything but work, even at parties
Recent Examples on the Web
Lawyer shows are usually buttoned-up and serious, but this show was as focused on office gossip and the characters' personal lives as the details of their legal cases.
—
Christian Holub, EW.com, 17 July 2024
In Funny Story, buttoned-up Daphne loves her relationship with her fiancé Peter.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2024
At that time, everything was very buttoned-up and safe in theater.
—Nicole Acheampong, New York Times, 26 June 2024
But Robert keeps his own secrets close to the vest, or, rather, his buttoned-up Palm Royale bartending uniform.
—Fawnia Soo Hoo, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 June 2024
Brie, accustomed to playing buttoned-up Type-A characters, has a lot of fun with Amy's hippie-dippie aesthetic.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024
The high collar with lace trim is feminine and flirty without feeling too proper or buttoned-up.
—Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 20 Jan. 2024
Ever since going viral on TikTok last year, Olympia Gayot, J.Crew's head of womenswear, has become a blueprint for high-low fashion that’s equal parts effortless and buttoned-up.
—Frances Solá-Santiago, refinery29.com, 11 Sep. 2023
The look consisted of a white buttoned-up shirt paired with an oversized navy blazer.
—Alex Kessler, Glamour, 30 June 2023
Christian Holub, EW.com, 17 July 2024
In Funny Story, buttoned-up Daphne loves her relationship with her fiancé Peter.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2024
At that time, everything was very buttoned-up and safe in theater.
—Nicole Acheampong, New York Times, 26 June 2024
But Robert keeps his own secrets close to the vest, or, rather, his buttoned-up Palm Royale bartending uniform.
—Fawnia Soo Hoo, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 June 2024
Brie, accustomed to playing buttoned-up Type-A characters, has a lot of fun with Amy's hippie-dippie aesthetic.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024
The high collar with lace trim is feminine and flirty without feeling too proper or buttoned-up.
—Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 20 Jan. 2024
Ever since going viral on TikTok last year, Olympia Gayot, J.Crew's head of womenswear, has become a blueprint for high-low fashion that’s equal parts effortless and buttoned-up.
—Frances Solá-Santiago, refinery29.com, 11 Sep. 2023
The look consisted of a white buttoned-up shirt paired with an oversized navy blazer.
—Alex Kessler, Glamour, 30 June 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'buttoned-up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Buttoned-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buttoned-up. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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