as in hushed
to stop talking
the little girl clammed up when the doctor came into the room
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Recent Examples of clammed up
On Israel, a lot of candidates have clammed up.
—
Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
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
But when co-host Maria McErlane looked for details, Norton clammed up.
—Joseph Wilkinson, Mercury News, 28 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
Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
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
But when co-host Maria McErlane looked for details, Norton clammed up.
—Joseph Wilkinson, Mercury News, 28 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clammed up
Verb
-
The years have only intensified Zimmerman’s mournful, hushed vocal performance, and Dream Me a Dream often plays out like a bedtime story spun by a beloved elder, accompanied by soft strings, shakers, and even a synth or two.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
19 June 2026
-
The same idea is being explored elsewhere in London, though not always with the same hushed, Westminster polish.—
Lela London,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Her last album, Survivor, had come out in 2018, months before Floyd’s death, and though she’s been writing and recording songs since the 1970s, her well of inspiration had dried up.—
Rachel DeSantis,
PEOPLE,
18 June 2026
-
But as Tomorrow’s wholesale business faltered against a challenging industry backdrop, Coperni claims this cashflow dried up.—
Joe Bobowicz,
Vogue,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Our early testing has already shown that Siri AI knows when to shut up, and that’s very much by design.—
Thomas Ricker,
The Verge,
12 June 2026
-
The audience is there in the flesh, shutting up and paying attention to your talent.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Clammed up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clammed%20up. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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