as in to hush
to stop talking
the little girl clammed up when the doctor came into the room
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Recent Examples of clam up
The atmosphere had changed—security kept an eye out for media to turn away at the entrance, and golfers clammed up when asked what was going on at the club.
—
Dan Alexander, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Everyone in the theater clammed up, as if embarrassed to have endorsed Max with laughter.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026
Your language model would clam up from time to time to conserve its resources.
—Amanda Gefter, Quanta Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026
Less sweat-trapping than many synthetic jackets, the Oreus kept me from clamming up while ski-touring in five-degree temps and dissipated sweat quickly when worn after strenuous climbs.
—Kelly Bastone, Outside, 10 Feb. 2026
But when co-host Maria McErlane looked for details, Norton clammed up.
—Joseph Wilkinson, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
The 2025-26 campaign and postseason — the Bears are two wins away from next month’s Super Bowl LX after winning the division and beating the Packers twice — so far has made their snarky detractors clam up.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
The famously outgoing media personality clammed up, on air and off, thanks to a terrifying stranger.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 7 Dec. 2025
But in Nogent, a town of around 4,000, most residents clam up at the mention of her name today.
—Hannah Goeke, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Dec. 2025
Dan Alexander, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Everyone in the theater clammed up, as if embarrassed to have endorsed Max with laughter.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026
Your language model would clam up from time to time to conserve its resources.
—Amanda Gefter, Quanta Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026
Less sweat-trapping than many synthetic jackets, the Oreus kept me from clamming up while ski-touring in five-degree temps and dissipated sweat quickly when worn after strenuous climbs.
—Kelly Bastone, Outside, 10 Feb. 2026
But when co-host Maria McErlane looked for details, Norton clammed up.
—Joseph Wilkinson, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
The 2025-26 campaign and postseason — the Bears are two wins away from next month’s Super Bowl LX after winning the division and beating the Packers twice — so far has made their snarky detractors clam up.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
The famously outgoing media personality clammed up, on air and off, thanks to a terrifying stranger.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 7 Dec. 2025
But in Nogent, a town of around 4,000, most residents clam up at the mention of her name today.
—Hannah Goeke, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clam up
Verb
-
Sweeping views over Hyde Park and expert soundproofing that hushes those busy London street horns.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2026
-
Tage Thompson’s voice was hushed when speaking to reporters.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
The Thief Valley Reservoir dried up in August 2024, killing many fish.—
Evan Bush,
NBC news,
2 June 2026
-
Fire-prone California The state’s annual budget for wildfire mitigation work could drop by hundreds of millions as two key funding sources dry up.—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
Homegrown star Bukayo Saka was dazzling fans on a weekly basis, new captain Martin Ødegaard pulled the strings in midfield and defenders Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba shut up shop at the back.—
Thomas Schlachter,
CNN Money,
23 May 2026
-
The core Mom skills — listening, caring, advising; maybe a little nagging, maybe shutting up — never go away.—
Andre Mouchard,
Daily News,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clam up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clam%20up. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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