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
Then, after Austin Jackson sustained his season-ending knee injury in early November in Miami’s loss to the Bills , the Dolphins run game clammed up.
—
Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 29 July 2025
Although that doesn’t account for those opposite behaviors (e.g., clamming up).
—Caleb Harris, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
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
Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 29 July 2025
Although that doesn’t account for those opposite behaviors (e.g., clamming up).
—Caleb Harris, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clam up
Verb
-
The vibe is hushed and calming.—
Victoria Uwumarogie,
Essence,
13 Oct. 2025
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McIlroy would hush the USA crowd after putts, while Reed would bow to their applause.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For buyers, extra money dries up GM’s strategy of crafting electrified options for its most popular models like the Chevrolet Blazer, Equinox and Silverado directly addressed what consumers wanted from the automaker’s emerging offerings, said Joseph Yoon, Edmunds' consumer insights analyst.—
Jackie Charniga,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
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Once the washing is done, the drying system circulates warm air – 110 °F (43 °C) – through carpet fibers, drying up to 400 sq ft of carpet in around two hours.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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They were made to relish going on the road and shutting up an American crowd.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
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Anybody that disputes it, even in my mentions, shut up.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Clam up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clam%20up. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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