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
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 client is bound to clam up.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 22 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
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
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 client is bound to clam up.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 22 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clam up
Verb
-
Inside, the rooms were intimate, jammed, dim, and hushed.—
Nicole Krauss,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Now, all is hushed and warm, and there is marble beneath our feet.—
Caroline Law,
TheWeek,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Locals were detained and quickly released as investigative leads dried up.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Car sales in the largest global auto market fell 14% in January year-on-year as government subsidies dried up.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The agents told him to ‘shut up’ four times.—
Ryan Oehrli
March 6,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Annette finally goes into the ocean and shuts up.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clam up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clam%20up. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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