Examples of clam up in a Sentence
the little girl clammed up when the doctor came into the room
Recent Examples on the Web
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
Cite this Entry
“Clam up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clam%20up. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share