as in detached
having or showing a lack of friendliness or interest in others
a buttoned-up colleague who had no interest in talking about anything but work, even at parties
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Recent Examples of buttoned-up
ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
There's ample space across two floors—the taproom downstairs is looser, the parlor upstairs a bit more buttoned-up and spirits-oriented.
—Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026
Raquel Welch brought her signature va-va-voom and fashion-forward style to the Oscars, with low necklines, high slits, and daring silhouettes, during a time when the ceremony dress code was much more (literally) buttoned-up.
—Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
The new offering, however, seems more buttoned-up.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026
Amazon has plenty of excellent work dresses that feel buttoned-up without being boring—and that are suitable for a range of office environments.
—Malia Griggs, Glamour, 20 Jan. 2026
The fun retro glasses seemed to rebel against gear that was getting as buttoned-up as the world, which has felt a bit heavier and more serious in the last five to ten years.
—Lily Ritter, Outside, 14 Jan. 2026
Cowley was more buttoned-up and shrewd about getting on in the world.
—Vince Passaro, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Around midnight, unofficial results in all of the races and proposals in the county were buttoned-up and showing on the county website.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
Aidala is folksy, while Agnifilo is more buttoned-up.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
There's ample space across two floors—the taproom downstairs is looser, the parlor upstairs a bit more buttoned-up and spirits-oriented.
—Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026
Raquel Welch brought her signature va-va-voom and fashion-forward style to the Oscars, with low necklines, high slits, and daring silhouettes, during a time when the ceremony dress code was much more (literally) buttoned-up.
—Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
The new offering, however, seems more buttoned-up.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026
Amazon has plenty of excellent work dresses that feel buttoned-up without being boring—and that are suitable for a range of office environments.
—Malia Griggs, Glamour, 20 Jan. 2026
The fun retro glasses seemed to rebel against gear that was getting as buttoned-up as the world, which has felt a bit heavier and more serious in the last five to ten years.
—Lily Ritter, Outside, 14 Jan. 2026
Cowley was more buttoned-up and shrewd about getting on in the world.
—Vince Passaro, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Around midnight, unofficial results in all of the races and proposals in the county were buttoned-up and showing on the county website.
—Christina Hall, Freep.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buttoned-up
Adjective
-
The treatments were carried out at Ali’s semi-detached home in Leicester, which was described by investigators and witnesses as unsanitary and unsuitable for clinical care, the news outlet reported.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
-
The property also features a detached, two-story guest house with two independent living spaces.—
Rodney Ho,
AJC.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
As part of the regional consolidation, offices in distant counties could now answer calls and schedule appointments for Jean’s office, and vice versa.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
The production is cold, distant, and uncertain, like the world lately, but within the song the lyrics feel warm and comforting.—
Time,
Time,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter who covers the death penalty, cold case investigations and breaking news for USA TODAY.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
In Milan, Pietrantoni had just worked with a design studio on an installation with cold lighting, which was drawing interested crowds.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
While Jaquez did not provide the eye-popping scoring of some of her teammates, the wing brought a cool effectiveness to the defensive side of the ball while tallying a pair of assists and a handful of deflections.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
10 May 2026
-
Pair white jeans with a black tee for timeless contrast, layer a white denim jacket with a flowy dress on spring days, or style white shorts and skirts with lightweight tops to stay cool all summer.—
Published,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Blue Origin, on the other hand, is taking its usual reserved approach compared to SpaceX's iterative design implementations.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
-
Redford sought to play the Bob Woodward character as reserved and calculating, while Hoffman, as Carl Bernstein, was manic and chain-smoking.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Buttoned-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttoned-up. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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